Rising Phoenix
by J.L.Lunar
Summary: Barnaby finds himself with a rather... unfortunate tattoo. In a desperate bid to get rid of it, he gets help from Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, a man he can't seem to stand. He can't seem to get away from Kotetsu, however, and soon the two become friends - and more.


Barnaby Brooks Jr. was not a man of hasty decisions—nor was he one for public displays of any kind. Be they affection, art work, fights, or even tattoos. His regulations were strict. Outward displays of passion were to be frowned heavily upon. Easels and bodies laden with artwork were not to be seen by the public. And affection—he was far too busy for such things.

Saying that he stuck adherently to these rules was a bit of an understatement. The moment a 'friend' of his began displaying continuous signs of such worrisome behavior, he was done with them. Figuratively he would wash his hands of their very presence. He had no need for such idiocy.

Yet Barnaby, one night, had gotten just a bit too tipsy. A friend had invited him to a party, which was promised to be completely tasteful, with business people to mingle with and only fine wine to sip. Once there, Barnaby had taken fondly to the wine, eagerly refilling his glass at each chance.

The meeting was completely for leisure—but Barnaby couldn't resist. He immediately began scouting for bigwigs. After all—he was 21 years old, and fresh out of college. A degree was burning a hole in his soul, and the continuous knowledge that his parents' trust fund would run out was lingering there. They had left a lot of money, of course, but with his esteemed way of living—well, funds were dwindling.

Soon he spotted someone—very famous, he knew. He'd only ever seen the man on TV, projected above the city in all his glory.

Nathan Seymour.

As Barnaby slowly approached, he scoped the older man out, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. Seymour was much taller than Barnaby, the black man having almost a whole foot on him. The man's hair was dyed pink—which Barnaby attempted to ignore—to match his eye shadow and lipstick. Barnaby found this all rather hard to take in, and instead took consolation in the fact that Seymour at least had a proper suit on.

Barnaby finally drew up close enough, relishing in the fact that he had caught Seymour at an off moment. The owner of Helios Energy had even turned towards Barnaby, apparently noticing his subtle approach. An eyebrow arched high, before Seymour extended a hand to Barnaby.

"Barnaby Brooks Jr," the blond greeted, eyeing Seymour, practically seeing dollar signs bursting in his mind. Seymour gave a firm shake, before plump lips curled into a smile.

"Nathan Seymour," the voice was deeper than Barnaby expected, and it rumbled through their connected palms. "I assume you're one of those young, handsome men hoping to strike a deal with me?" The voice had changed, definitely more high pitched and lilted. It startled Barnaby momentarily, but he quickly answered.

"I'm one of the young men hoping to talk to you at a friend's party," Barnaby said slowly, weighing his words. "Whatever comes out of it—I'm certain I won't complain." He finished this with a rather soft smile, hoping to appeal to Seymour.

Indeed, Nathan did seem pleased, as he gave a soft laugh. "Now, now," the man chanted, wagging a finger at Barnaby. "Such an ambitious thing… How about you relax a little. As you said, you are at a friend's party?"

Barnaby attempted to protest—he knew already he'd had his fill of wine. Yet with Nathan's coaxing, and the looming thought of being employed at Helios, he obliged to Nathan's plying. The night wore on, and Barnaby had the ever present feeling that he was doing things he oughtn't to do in front of a future employer. But Nathan was always there with a new drink, consistently pressing cool glass into Barnaby's heated palm. Soon thoughts of the job were gone—there was slight pain—and then Barnaby woke up face down in his bathroom floor.

That was how Barnaby had come to a tattoo shop—of his own volition—and completely sober.

Once he'd woken up (with a horrible hangover) and steadied himself (i.e. thrown up everywhere) Barnaby had been horror stricken to discover that on his back was a newly found addition to his _skin._

To say Barnaby had been angry or upset… Those were both understatements for the complete and utter meltdown the blonde had had. It was such an embarrassment, a travesty—and many other words that Barnaby had been way too distracted to truly think about. The fact that there was ink in his skin, and that needles had repeatedly slammed into his skin and effectively _scarred_ him… Well…

He'd immediately grabbed his nearest phone book, but found nothing of use. He'd eventually used his phone to get the number of a nearby laser tattoo removal office. Unfortunately, after only five minutes on the phone with the assistant, he was given a rather steep price. Over 6,000 dollars—just on size and color alone. The estimate wasn't even guaranteed.

Barnaby had promptly slammed his phone into the table—a small crack on the screen a reminder that his small act of aggression had been rather stupid and really only hurt himself. There had been an internal debate. Barnaby didn't know how to treat a tattoo—didn't know what to do with it. Nobody he knew had any, and he certainly hadn't gone around looking for it.

As far as the internet's advice went—it was all rather dodgy and the only thing all the answers had in common was that none of them were the same. He'd felt retched. The tattoo itself was an abomination. He simply couldn't keep something so unprofessional on his body! There were too many times where he'd bent over, and the small of his back had been bared. The mortification if anybody saw… _THAT_ when he did so…

But Barnaby had heard of cover-ups. After all, he'd sat through a tattoo once—surely he could do it again. The thought pained him greatly, however. The thought of putting something like that purposefully on to his body was pure agony.

He didn't even know _what_ he could get that would be professional. He just knew that what he had… God if anybody ever saw it…

Eventually he'd settled on it, though. He'd go to a tattoo shop. He'd figure out how to go about it. Perhaps he could find something less… atrocious to adorn him. The odds were slim, and Barnaby felt as if he were falling into an abyss of bad behavior.

He stared at the neon sign in front of him though, and glared angrily up at the bright green letters.

 _The Wild Tiger_ —it was a stupid name, in Barnaby's opinion. But he'd been eavesdropping, and heard two girls raging over this place. He'd eventually caved, and looked up the place, finding positive reviews. That, and he had called up to set an appointment—a man had answered, and he'd been very polite as far as Barnaby was concerned. The worker—Benjamin—had promised to pencil him with the owner of the shop. That had made Barnaby feel a bit more comfortable as well.

So here he was, ready to descend to the darkest place of his life that he felt he had ever been. The worst part, Barnaby thought, as he pushed open the door, was that Nathan had never extended him a job offer. Then again, it could be because he'd made an ass of himself—being drunk and getting tattooed.

Sighing, Barnaby entered the shop, though he immediately halted when he saw the hideous interior. Every single piece of furniture was patterned with tiger stripes—all vivid orange. Whoever decorated the inside had also decided that lime green was a good companion color to orange (Barnaby felt a shiver run down his spine) because the pillows and carpet were all a hideously bright shade of it. The walls were a whole different problem on their own—the damn walls were basically black fur.

Mounted up were random flash tattoos covered in the shiny plastic that Barnaby had seen in movies. A black table was pushed up near one of the couches, and Barnaby saw a few books scattered across it. For a moment, he waited, staring at the counter towards the back of the room. Nobody was there, though, and Barnaby couldn't hear anybody coming.

As he sat down, he grabbed the first book he reached. There was a cool kind of jazz rolling out of the speakers, and Barnaby rather liked it. It was soothing, to say the least, and it eased his mind as he settled into the (ugly) couch. He carefully arched his back, mindful of the… thing… on his back.

There was no name on the cover of the art book, but Barnaby opened it anyways. Inside were several pictures of boring tattoos and artwork—nothing really interesting, so Barnaby quickly set it aside. He grabbed the next one, perusing the pages, and flushed slightly at the fact that this one was rampant with naked women. There were other drawings, but Barnaby quickly grew disgruntled by the sight and set it down.

Finally, he grabbed the last one, and peeled open the pages. His eyes opened a bit wider in appreciation, flipping through more of the sheets. This one was filled with rather large pieces, most seemed to have a traditional Japanese feeling to them. They were gorgeous pieces—even the ones that didn't follow in the theme. The artist had also done more westernized tattoos, and they still carried the same livelihood. Barnaby was rather floored. While he wasn't fond of artwork and tattoos… He found himself liking these.

"You like my art work, neh?" the voice startled him, and Barnaby clutched tightly at the book. His eyes shot towards the man who had appeared in the room, apparently having pushed his way through a—God this place got more and more tacky—a beaded curtain.

The man was Japanese, tall, with a ton of leg, one of which was crossed over his other leg while he stood there. His skin was dark, as was his hair, which was in a messy tangle shoved underneath a cap. He was wearing a white vest, with a green undershirt. Barnaby thought he looked as ridiculous and tacky as this room.

He supposed he should keep that thought to himself.

"Yes," Barnaby said, straightening his glasses and setting the book down. Giving a soft cough, Barnaby rose from his seat, and approached the man. "I'm Barnaby Brooks Jr," he greeted, extending his hand. His shake was reciprocated, and Barnaby stared at their linked hands. He could feel rough callouses scraping against his palm.

"I'm Kotetsu, your tattoo artist." Kotetsu was grinning then, his grip still firm on Barnaby. The blonde felt odd about the extensive contact, but the artist held on for just a bit longer, before pulling sharply on Barnaby, and dragging him into Kotetsu's chest. Once there, Kotetsu slung an arm over Barnaby's shoulder, and held the two close.

"What—what are you doing?" Barnaby spluttered, unable to keep his calm composure. He wasn't used to such brazenness, and he honestly didn't know how to react. Kotetsu merely laughed, and patted Barnaby's shoulder, as if he meant it to be reassuring instead of even more disconcerting.

"Relax, kid," Kotetsu placated, finally releasing Barnaby. "You just looked nervous! Ben told me about your appointment—so a cover-up, huh?" Kotetsu seemed to become semi-professional, though Barnaby still wasn't entirely sold. He was beginning to wonder if a different tattoo shop would have been better.

But Kotetsu was right there, and he was asking to see the tattoo. Barnaby took a deep gulp, his face flushing. He didn't feel entirely comfortable—but he was already here…

Sighing, Barnaby tugged at the edge of his shirt, and slowly pulled it up. He turned his back towards Kotetsu, and bowed his head down. It was humiliating. To the other man's credit, he didn't laugh at Barnaby's expense. Instead, Barnaby was treated to the weird sensation of fingers hooking on the edge of his pants.

Frowning, Barnaby felt as Kotetsu's fingers danced over the tattoo, eliciting a hiss of pain from Barnaby. Kotetsu made a humming noise, and quickly released Barnaby. The blonde fixed his clothes, feeling rather moody as he turned around to look at Kotetsu. The elder man had poked out his bottom lip, obviously thinking as he regarded Barnaby.

"It's still new," Kotetsu observed, to which Barnaby gave a short nod. "How new is… it?" He only looked mildly amused, to which Barnaby couldn't decide whether or not it was irritating.

"Not even a week old," Barnaby admitted. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth as he saw that Kotetsu wasn't managing to hold in his laughter any longer, and in fact the man's lips had curled up-ever so slightly. "I don't see what's funny about this." He stood up ramrod straight, radiating offense from every pore in his body.

"You… don't see anything funny about a stickler like you with a bunny tramp stamp?"

Barnaby's nostrils flared, and he quickly jerked his shirt back down. His posterior stung with the mistreatment, and the pain of the tattoo. He crossed his arms, the squeak of his leather jacket taking away some of his credibility as a Very Angry Customer.

"If this is how you're going to behave," Barnaby snapped, "then I can do business elsewhere."

"Hey, now!" Kotetsu waved his hands wildly in front of him, almost knocking over a pen holder on the desk. "C'mon - I didn't mean to upset you."

The sad part was, is Barnaby believed that he hadn't. Kotetsu's eyes were wide, and his mouth wobbled in a way that was very unbecoming of someone his age. Barnaby gave a dignified sniff, and peered through his glasses at Kotetsu.

"Fine."

Kotetsu's face split into a wide grin, and he clapped Barnaby on the shoulder.

"Just so you know," Kotetsu warned with a waggle of his finger, and Barnaby was distracted by the gleam of a wedding ring, "it's going to be a few weeks - maybe even a month - before I can actually tattoo you."

"A month?!" Barnaby demanded. "You expect me to wait a month!" He stomped his foot, and inwardly chastised himself for how ridiculous he look. Kotetsu merely gave him a bemused smile.

"Well, yeah, Lil' Bunny. I can't go digging a needle into a fresh tattoo."

Barnaby felt his cheeks heat up. "What - what did you just call me?"

"Lil Bunny!" Kotetsu grinned. "Cuz… y'know." He waved a hand at Barnaby's general direction. "Your name even sounds like it! And you stomped your little foot."

Barnaby felt his shoulders snap up around his chin in indignation as he turned sharply away from Kotetsu.

"I've changed my mind," he said frostily, "I wouldn't want some old, senile man anywhere near me with needles!" He ignored Kotetsu's splutters from behind him, as he went to storm elegantly out of the tattoo shop. He was unfortunately halted, however, as someone swung open the door, narrowly missing Barnaby's nose.

"Kotetsu, darling!"

In front of Barnaby stood Nathan Seymour, still as tall and as glamorous the night that he'd completely screwed Barnaby over. It took everything in him to recollect himself, and kept viciously reminding himself that he still needed to be professional. He quickly shoved his shaking hands into his jacket.

"Oh!" Nathan's lips pursed together, as he peered down at Barnaby. "You're that cute little thing from the party!" He gave a happy trill as one of his large, manicured hands reached out to grasp Barnaby's. "Oh, honey, I tried to call, but that number you left me didn't work!"

Hot shame crept up the back of Barnaby's neck. He wondered what he had told Nathan. Probably some gibberish number on the spot. He shook his blonde curls back from his face, and forced his calm, detached smile into place.

"I'm very sorry about my behaviour the other night," he made sure to crinkle his forehead Just Right, and to look the very picture of demureness. Nathan waved him off.

"Oh, it's fine, honey, it was really my fault. I didn't realize you were such a lightweight!" Nathan laughed, and Barnaby had to grit his teeth together to maintain his smile.

"Heeeeeey," Kotetsu spoke up from behind Barnaby, and he mentally cursed himself. "That's quite a different attitude, there!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Nathan's pink eyebrows drew down over his eyes, as they pierced straight through to Barnaby's soul. Scrambling for something to say, Barnaby quickly gave a tinkling laugh.

"Mr. Kotetsu and I were just discussing the usage of his… services," Barnaby couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't - out loud - admit that he had a bunny tramp stamp. His lips tightened up around his teeth, and Kotetsu gave out a low whistle.

"Kotetsu _is_ the best," Nathan beamed, and waltzed over to Kotetsu. "He's given me all of mine. Really, if you hadn't insisted the other night, I would have told you to come to him in the first place!" He tut-tutted then, and Barnaby felt more shame coiling in his gut.

The tattoo had been _his_ idea?! That was impossible!

"You flatter me." Kotetsu swiftly grabbed Nathan's wrist with a practiced motion, as it had clearly been aiming for his posterior. Barnaby tried not to visibly blanch at the sight. "What brings you here, anyways?"

"Don't mind me," Nathan simpered. "You were working with blondie, weren't you?"

"He was just leaving," Kotetsu said. Nathan's face dropped, and Barnaby felt as if he'd just personally insulted the man. "Didn't want my services." He said this all in an easy-going, offhanded way.

"No," Barnaby hurried to rectify his image in Nathan Seymour's eyes, "I think you misunderstood. I more just meant I didn't need your services today. Have to let the - ah -," for once, Barnaby stuttered, and furrowed his brow in consternation.

"The tattoo?" Kotetsu prompted.

"Yes… that… I have to let it heal." Each word was like a physical punch to the gut. He could see the large grin returning to Kotetsu' face, and Nathan looked rather happy as well.

"All right then," Kotetsu eagerly scrambled over to the desk. "How about this - you come back here, this time next week, and we'll discuss designs. Come up with something you like, and I'll let you know if we can feasibly do it. It'll let that ink settle, too, so I can decide on colors." He happily clicked his pen, jotted something down, and then went eagerly back to his button pushing.

Each one made Barnaby lose a little bit more of his sanity.

The only good thing to come out of it was Nathan Seymour promptly stopping him just outside the building, raving about how wonderful Kotetsu was, and then slipping him a business card to see about potentially getting him a job at Helios Energy.

"I know you were blitzed out of your mind," Nathan had chuckled, "but you still managed to pitch yourself at every opportunity. In fact, that little token," he pointed at Barnaby's back, "was you proving how far you were willing to go for the company. A bit… much, I'd say." Something glittered in Nathan's eyes as he waved, and disappeared back into Kotetsu's shop.

In a thoroughly confused mood, Barnaby headed home.

His week passed by in a blur, with him attending an interview at Helios Energy - not supervised by Nathan. The woman who did the interview, however, did seem to know who Barnaby was, and he hoped desperately that this was a good thing. He had no way of knowing whether or not she had heard about him being a viable candidate, or about what an absolute ass he'd made of himself.

She'd been pleasant, though, and had talked him through pay, accommodations, and potential chances to move up through the company. She appeared especially happy that he was mostly interested in their engineering department. It was one of their less popular positions, as many people were unqualified for it. Barnaby assured her that he had the credentials, and even pulled all of his transcripts out of his briefcase. He'd splayed them confidently across the desk, and made sure to keep his face from radiating smugness as her eyes widened.

This type of interviewer preferred the more humble approach, and so that was what he did. He referred to himself positively, but never giving away too much. He constantly told her what an honor this was, and listed every piece in detail from him resume, alphabetically.

He was feeling rather confident in himself, and thus wasn't in an atrocious mood when he received a call, confirming his appointment with Kotetsu. Barnaby had researched proper care of a tattoo, and had been keeping up with the maintenance of it - and now it only slightly stung, and only if he applied pressure to it. He hated having to put the ointment on it, as it was basically confirming that he'd really been so utterly stupid as to get this _thing_ imprinted on his body.

He woke up early, so as to better prepare himself, before going to stand despondently outside of The Wild Tiger. He glowered at the door, and attempted to mentally prepare himself. When he entered, he once more had to adjust his eyes to the absolutely atrocious decorations. There was, however, something mildly normal about the room this time.

A plainly dressed, middle aged black man sat there, scribbling across a large page.

"Hello - Barnaby?"

Barnaby recognized the voice - Benjamin - from when'd he'd first called to make his appointment. He gave a curt nod.

"Have a seat," the man smiled, and waved at the ugly furniture. "Kotetsu'll be along shortly."

Barnaby sat, and tucked his knees in tight. He peered at the door, and realized for the first time that it was rather odd for a tattoo shop to have such strange hours. The shop was open between eight and four - almost normal business hours. He pushed his glasses back up his nose, and picked up Kotetsu's art book once more. He idly flipped through the pages, and wondered how such a stupid man created such beautiful art. The lines were fluid, and each design laid out perfectly.

The beaded curtain tinkled, and a woman went to the counter to pay. Barnaby saw that her arm was covered in a large sleeve, with koi all wrapped around each other in varying patterns. She was chattering ecstatically as Kotetsu appeared as well, with a large camera hanging from his neck.

"Mind if I take a picture?" Kotetsu asked, a large, goofy grin spreading across his face.

"Go ahead!" the woman eagerly put her arm out, and Kotetsu snapped a few shots. He then swung forward, wrapped his arm around her shoulder - carefully avoiding her tattoo - and snapped a shot of them together. The woman thanked him eagerly, and Kotetsu wished her a good night, right before trodding on her toe.

She yelped, he apologized, and Barnaby couldn't help but snort at the stupidity of the old man.

"Ah, Bunny," Kotetsu drawled. The woman had already paid, and had begun limping out of the shop. She still looked happy, but was just slightly less enthusiastic.

"Do you often accost your customers?" Barnaby realized he was still holding the book, and quickly flopped it back down on the table.

"Don't be hateful," Kotetsu whined. "It's not healthy to be so grumpy." He turned, then, and motioned for Barnaby to follow him back. He pushed his way through the beaded curtain, and realized the back of the shop was just as tacky. Barnaby could see rooms off to the side that appeared normal - one was decorated rather like an office, while another had large, ornate fans on the wall, along with kabuki masks, and ninja posters.

Barnaby was led past all of these, to arrive at what appeared to be Kotetsu's room, which shared a similar decorative style to the rest of the shop. The only difference was pictures that were plastered everywhere of a young girl with brown hair, in varying stages of her life.

"Pop a squat, Lil Bunny!" Kotetsu said as he plopped down into his own leather chair. It spiraled across the floor, with Kotetsu's long legs spread out in front of him. He paused, mid-twirl, though, and pointed his index finger at Barnaby. "Ah! The leg thump! What'd I do?"

Barnaby glared. "I don't thump my leg, old man. Nor am I a rabbit. My name is _Barnaby_."

" _My name is Barnaby_ ," Kotetsu mimicked, while making little bunny ears on top of his head. He laughed at his own joke, while Barnaby only grew more frigid and foreboding.

"Might I remind you that you're not the only tattoo shop in town?" Barnaby asked coldly. Kotetsu arched his brow, and leaned his elbow onto the back of his chair.

"You can leave - buuuuut," he grinned, "I sure would hate to tell Nathan that you went elsewhere." He examined his nails, then, and Barnaby felt his brain stutter. He narrowed his eyes from behind his glasses, crossed his arms, and gracefully dropped into the tattoo seat. "Now! Let's take a look at the little fella!" Kotetsu wheeled his way around Barnaby.

"You look like an overgrown first grader," he said. Usually Barnaby couldn't be bothered to actually argue with people. It was below him. Petty remarks, and little snipes were not something that he was interested in. After all, anything could be obtained by playing the character someone wanted to see. But with Kotetsu… he found himself becoming increasingly agitated. He didn't know what he was supposed to be.

"Bunny's got claws!" Kotetsu chuckled, and Barnaby furrowed his brow. He jutted his jaw out, as he felt Kotetsu's fingers hiking up his shirt once more. "Hm…" Fingers prodded at the tattoo, and Barnaby winced. "Not quite healed, huh? You must have real tender skin. That's gonna make this a lot harder," Kotetsu warned. Then he wheeled himself back to the front, and snatched up a sketchbook. "Have you given any thought to a design?"

"No." Barnaby replied truthfully, and shook his blonde curls back from his face. "I didn't want a tattoo. I only want this one covered because it's unbecoming."

"I dunno, matches you pretty well." Kotetsu cheesed at him, and Barnaby merely set his jaw more firmly, and yanked his shirt back down over his back. "Aw, c'mon, I'm just teasing! But seriously, I need an idea from you to work with."

Barnaby thought, but nothing came to mind.

"Hobbies?" Kotetsu asked.

"Working."

" _Other_ hobbies?"

"Reading."

"Oh? What series!"

"Classical literature, specifically."

Kotetsu looked crestfallen. "No TV? Video games?"

"No, and no," Barnaby replied. "I'll watch documentaries, after I've verified their authenticity."

Kotetsu's face morphed into disgust. "Oh, man… you're sad."

"I am _not_ ," Barnaby snapped. "I'm busy."

Kotetsu rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Any important family members?"

"No."

A groan, and Kotetsu had flopped his head back. Barnaby was left staring at his bobbing adam's apple. "Okay… favorite animal?"

"I don't have one. They don't serve a purpose to me."

Kotetsu stayed in his position, but issued forth another noise of complaint. "Do you have the personality of a white wall?"

Barnaby huffed in offense, just as Kotetsu had flopped back forward.

"Oh, you even do the bunny nose thing." Kotetsu attempted, and failed, to wiggle his own nose, before giving in and pushing it with his finger. Barnaby closed his eyes and counted down from ten.

"You're just bulleting questions at me," Barnaby finally said, reopening his eyes, "that's not very helpful."

"These are all things people think of when they're getting a tattoo," Kotetsu protested. "But apparently, you're a walking, talking android! Not a very convincing one, though." He leaned his elbow onto his knee, and plopped his jaw down into it, glaring at Barnaby.

"I never _wanted_ one," Barnaby repeated himself. "Therefore, I don't have anything in mind. I've never once entertained the idea of it."

"Yeah, yeah," Kotetsu waved him off. "Nathan told me about it. Bunny can't hold his liquor."

"Nathan Seymour said that?" Barnaby forgot to be casual in his questions, as he quickly cut his eyes at Kotetsu.

"Well… he didn't phrase it that nicely," Kotetsu chuckled, and rubbed at the back of his neck. "But uh - I don't really wanna say that kind of stuff."

Barnaby felt as if a stone had been dropped in his stomach. What the hell had Nathan Seymour said about him? It apparently must have shown on his face, as Kotetsu's eyes bugged out, and he quickly waved a hand through the air, and sent his pen flying. Kotetsu shot out of the chair to go hastily retrieve it, while his muffled words were shouted over his shoulder.

"It's nothing like that! He didn't say anything bad. Just some terminology I don't use." Kotetsu straightened up his vest, and for once he looked a little flustered. "Look, it's not important. He seemed to like you, if that's what you're worried about."

Barnaby blinked, and peered at Kotetsu over his glasses.

"Okay?" Kotetsu asked. Barnaby nodded, and puckered his mouth into a frown.

"I suppose I'll have to think on the design a little more," Barnaby said slowly, as he rose from his chair. He was still a little lost in thought, as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. Kotetsu sighed.

"Listen, tattoos are a big deal." Kotetsu sounded serious. "Think long and hard about it. Especially since your first one was…"

"A bit of a disaster?" Barnaby finished.

Kotetsu grinned, and Barnaby quickly averted his gaze to the floor.

"Exactly. Think on it. Call me when you're ready."

Barnaby agreed, and left. It wasn't much later in the day when he received a call in regards to his position at Helios Energy. He'd been hired. However, it wasn't until Barnaby appeared for his first day of work that he realized Helios wasn't run the way he'd expected. Barnaby had showed up in his well-tailored, red business suit, with his tie pressed, and his shoes shined to perfection. He'd wanted to make the best impression possible - he didn't intend to wait longer than a year to move up the ladder. The building was actually rather small, considering how big of a company Helios Energy was. He'd gone to the room number where the woman had told him to appear. He opened the door to a flurry of papers.

The room was large, with huge windows that showed the view of the passing city. Every inch was covered in some sort of corporate mess. Desks were put in haphazard positions, all in different angles, with bright, vivid sharpies, paints, and any number of things all across each surface.

Barnaby stared. Everyone was in casual wear - some of them sloppily at that. All of them were talking animatedly, or playing music, all while tapping away at their respective areas. And amidst it all stood Nathan Seymour, looking resplendent in a shimmering pink top, and leather pants. He waved his manicured hand in a sweeping motion.

"Welcome to the office, darling. I must say… you are a bit over-dressed, aren't you?"

As it turned out, the engineering department consisted of a hodge-podge of people, most of whom Barnaby met in a blur. He was thankful that he was good with names and faces, as Nathan did a rather rushed tour.

"This is my favorite department," Nathan confided, with a large grin. "After all, when I founded Helios, this was my primary focus. I've since moved on to stocks, and other facets, but - well, what can I say? I'll always have my soft spot for creating new and creative ways to assist our consumer base." He had a light in his eyes, as he happily trilled.

Barnaby was still attempting to take in the mess.

"Oh, handsome, you look so sad."

Barnaby was startled - why did everyone insist on giving him a nickname? Though, he supposed this one was far more tolerable than "Lil Bunny".

"It _is_ a bit hectic in here… you seem so put together!" Nathan laughed, and swatted his shoulder with a surprising amount of strength. "You'll get used to it though, I promise. It's this chaotic for a reason! Chaos creates ideas!" Nathan clinched his hand in front of his face, and clapped Barnaby round the shoulder once more. "I like to keep this small building so that we can all interact with one another, feed off of each other's energy, you know?"

Barnaby remained silent. He felt as if he'd been transmogrified into stone. He kept the panic from his face, however, as he gave a rather benign smile, and followed behind Nathan.

"Here, handsome, let's partner you up with Antonio, at least while you're new. He'll walk you through all the processes - paperwork, the time-slips, etcetera!" Nathan led him up to a rather large hispanic man, with imposing eyebrows, and a rather grim set mouth. He had been talking on the phone, and had turned sharply to look at Barnaby.

"Yeah… I have to go. Yes, we'll see you at lunch." Antonio hung up his phone, then, and crossed his arms across his rather burly chest. "So you're Barnaby? Heard a lot about you…"

Barnaby suppressed a scream, as he gave a polite smile, and extended his hand.

"It's nice to meet you," he said, "and I do hope to learn a lot from you."

Antonio took his hand, and completely enveloped it. Barnaby felt rather small - between two giants.

"Look after him," Nathan trilled, before he sashayed away.

Barnaby was rather relieved to learn that Antonio wasn't much of a talker. It had been the one good thing about this place. Barnaby kept having to remind himself of the rather large pay, and the fact that he could eventually work his way up - potentially even be supervisor here, and straighten things out. He just had to grin and bear it.

Antonio walked him through everything, explaining the vast majority of their work. They were given schematics, were encouraged to create their own - either something new, or to fix something that they felt could be improved. There was also paperwork, which Barnaby saw was piled so high it was almost toppling over. It practically sent Barnaby into a paroxysm at the sight.

"Nobody ever wants to do it," Antonio had said with a shrug. Barnaby felt a pang in his chest, but offered up a rather polite laugh. After that, Antonio told Barnaby what time lunch was, then promptly told him to do whatever he felt would be best. Barnaby, left to his own devices, approached the leaning tower of papers.

He located a desk, and, after asking around, found it was unowned. He quickly relocated it to the corner where the papers were, plopped it down, and did his best to clear it out. He then rolled his shoulders, and got to work.

Several times, people stopped by to see him, each of them telling him that it wasn't necessary - Antonio alone let him be. He'd managed less than a third of the ridiculous pile, when he'd looked up, and realized he was alone in the room. He blinked a couple of times, and rubbed at his eyes. With a glance at his watch he realized that he'd gone thirty minutes over his lunch time.

He huffed. It wasn't that big a deal, he supposed. With lunch almost over, he supposed it was fine if he skipped it. He had just reached for another sheet of paper, when Kotetsu appeared at the doorway.

Barnaby stared, baffled. Surely he must be out of his damned mind?

"Hey, Lil Bunny!" The apparition was speaking. Perhaps he _should_ have taken a lunch break. "Antonio sent me up here - said he'd forgotten to tell you it was lunch time."

Barnaby shook his head. "Why are _you_ here?" he finally asked, keeping his voice clipped and calm.

"Antonio's one of my best friends," Kotetsu replied. "I come visit him on lunch." He propped his hands up on his hips, and jerked his head. "C'mon, Bunny. Some of that paperwork is years old, it can wait another thirty minutes."

Barnaby pursed his lips, but… he was feeling hungry. He slowly rose to his feet, and Kotetsu clucked his tongue.

"Damn - didn't anyone tell you they're casual around here?"

Barnaby huffed, and stomped past Kotetsu. "You're wearing a sweater vest," he sneered, "please don't lecture me."

"Oi!" Kotetsu hurried after him. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"They're so old-fashioned," Barnaby scoffed, "I'm afraid to know what corpse you pulled them off of."

"You're _mean_ when no one's around, Bunny!" Kotetsu whined, and Barnaby frowned. He supposed he was acting… well, like himself. And that was a problem. He furrowed his brow. He should try for more strained civility around Kotetsu.

"I'm not mean," Barnaby said slowly. He was straining to form an apology, but he couldn't. He let it die on his tongue, as he hastily hurried towards the outside lunch area. He could see everyone sitting at picnic tables, scattered throughout a courtyard. Nathan was sitting with Antonio, who flagged him over, Kotetsu following just behind.

"Hi, handsome!" Nathan greeted. Antonio nodded a hello. Barnaby sat, and Kotetsu quickly followed. The old man threw himself down with no grace, and managed to knee and elbow Barnaby on his way in.

"Would you watch it, grandpa!" Barnaby snapped, and Nathan arched his eyebrows. Remembering himself, Barnaby flushed, and tucked some of his hair back behind his ear. "My apologies, sir."

"Oh, no," Nathan waved it off, "I don't blame you, handsome. Kotetsu's more limb than human."

"It's unfortunate," Antonio rumbled.

"Some friends you guys are!" Kotetsu protested.

"Friends?" Nathan asked. "No, no. _Best_ friends. Thus we're allowed to be as horrible to you as we want. Right, Barnaby?"

Barnaby, surprised at being involved in the conversation, glanced quickly at Kotetsu. He could see the man giving him a pleading look, which he promptly ignored.

"Aw, c'mon, Bunny, don't be like that!"

Both Antonio and Nathan shared amused looks, as Barnaby felt his cheeks heat up.

"If you're so senile you can't remember names, perhaps you shouldn't speak!"

Kotetsu jutted his jaw out. "I can remember your name," he protested. "I just think Bunny's cuter."

"I don't _want_ a cute nickname," Barnaby replied. "I want you to use my proper name."

"Oh, handsome, Kotetsu's just like that," Nathan sighed.

"He still calls me Bison, from our college days," Antonio confided.

"Your college days," Kotetsu corrected. "I just crashed at your dorm."

"That doesn't sound like something you should be proud of," Barnaby sniffed.

Kotetsu threw his hands up. "At least I don't think paperwork is fun."

"It's not _fun_ , it's fulfilling."

"Sad, is what it is."

Lunch continued in much the same way, with Barnaby only pausing long enough to go grab a granola bar from the vending machine, where he'd had to deal with Kotetsu pointing out, loudly, that the way he ate was weird. It felt very much like eating lunch with a small child. Barnaby stopped worrying about letting his meanness show, as Nathan and Antonio only encouraged him, so long as it was directed at Kotetsu. The general consensus seemed to be that the man was an insufferable klutz.

After lunch, Kotetsu had taken off, waving good-bye to everyone, and reminding Barnaby to think about his design.

And Barnaby did, every day that he worked on the papers, that he slowly began to chip away at. Every day, Kotetsu would come up, remind Barnaby that it was lunch time, and then accompany him to the picnic table where he'd be verbally berated by his friends and Barnaby until time was up.

After the second week, Kotetsu had given a huge sigh, before shoving his hand out in front of Barnaby. Everyone else had already left the courtyard, as Barnaby had stayed behind to clean up the remnants of his salad (which Kotetsu had tried to put mayonnaise on, much to Barnaby's absolute disgust).

Barnaby stared at the hand, before furrowing his brow, and glaring at Kotetsu.

"I'm not giving you any handouts."

"I'm not asking for handouts!" Kotetsu huffed. "I want your phone!"

Barnaby stared once more. "Why?"

"To put my number in it, of course!" Kotetsu frowned. "C'mon, you want that thing covered, right? You keep tugging down your shirt, and trying to make sure it doesn't show."

Barnaby sighed, but did relinquish his phone. He soon regretted it, as later on in the evening, he was sitting down with a cup of tea, just as his phone rang. A picture of a tiger had appeared, and Kotetsu's name flitted across the screen. Barnaby answered.

"Hiya, Bunny -,"

"Don't call me that. And how, in such a short amount of time, did you manage to change your contact image on my phone?"

"I'm a pro at it," Kotetsu's voice rambled through the phone. "I've been doing it to people for ages."

"Fascinating," Barnaby said flatly. "What did you want?"

"I wanted to make sure that I had the number right."

"And you do, congratulations. Now if you don't mind - ,"

"Now, wait a minute, Bunny!"

" _What_ , old man?"

"I wanted to know if you'd like to come by the shop tomorrow? It's a weekend, so I know you're off. I've been working on some designs, and you could check them out. You might like some of 'em!"

Barnaby sighed, and took a sip of his tea. "Sure. Fine."

He went the next day, tugging on a long sleeved shirt before slipping on his trusty jacket. The weather had been dipping into much cooler territory, and he felt the bite of it as he went through town. He finally arrived at The Wild Tiger. When he entered, Benjamin simply pointed back towards where he knew Kotetsu's room was. He pushed through the beads, and realized that the other rooms were in use for once. The office like one hosted a rather large busted woman with long auburn hair, and the other's owner was a young man with bleached hair, whose face Barnaby couldn't see.

He reached Kotetsu's door, and was surprised to see the girl from all of Kotetsu's photos sitting in the room. She looked to be about ten, and when she saw Barnaby, her whole face lit up.

"Hi," she breathed out, and quickly hopped up from her chair. Kotetsu turned from where he'd been drawing. "Wowee… dad mentioned you but he didn't say you were - ," she broke off, her face rather red. Kotetsu pulled a face.

"Aw, Kaede… remember, no man will love ya like daddy!" As Kotetsu rolled forward, obviously looking to get a hug, Kaede held out her hand. Kotetsu ran face first into it. Kaede shoved him back, and angrily wiped spit on her pant's leg.

"Dad, don't be gross in front of people! Don't be gross ever!" she crossed her arms, and turned her nose up at her father. "Sorry about him." Her eyes softened as she looked up at Barnaby, and he offered her a polite smile.

"Hey! You've got little buck teeth!" Kotetsu pulled his top lip up, and poked at his own. Barnaby pressed his lips closed.

" _Dad_!" Kaede shrieked. "You're so insensitive!"

"What!" Kotetsu looked genuinely confused. "It's cute!"

Barnaby watched silently as Kaede began berating her father, and simply moved over to the tattoo chair. He could feel his stomach swirling, and he sat down. He tucked some of his curls back behind his ear, and tried to sort out the strange tugging in his gut.

Kaede had finally finished with her father, and turned to Barnaby.

"Sorry about him… dad's are super annoying, aren't they?" She rolled her eyes, and Barnaby gave her an apologetic nod. "Your dad do anything stupid?"

"Ah, he might have. I don't remember," Barnaby confided. "My parents have been dead for a very long time." He didn't view it as a particularly sad memory, and thus had no problems telling them. He had been so young when they had died, he had almost no memories of them. He knew that they had been rather big in robotics, and had made their money that way. But, he didn't have any fond memories.

However, both the Kaburagis looked absolutely devastated.

"Bunny, ya didn't tell me about that!" Kotetsu said. His lip _wobbled_. God, Barnaby thought, he really was an idiot. Kaede didn't look much better, as she quickly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, mister…" She tugged nervously at her hair. "I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's fine," Barnaby assured her with a small smile. He made sure to keep his lips closed. "Really. They died a long time ago. I'm sorry if you're upset, Miss Kaede."

Her eyes grew misty and her eyebrows slanted upwards. "I-I'm fine, Mr. Brooks."

"Just Barnaby is fine, really."

"O-okay!"

"I'm feeling less sorry for you by the second," Kotetsu grumbled. Kaede turned a sharp glare on him, her personality changing like a switch.

"Don't you start." She bent down and scooped up a bag she'd left on the floor, and threw it over her shoulder. "I'll see you Sunday, right?"

"Scout's honor!" Kotetsu promised. Kaede didn't look convinced, but she lifted her wrist, where she and Kotetsu had matching bracelets. She shook hers at him, with her pinky out, and he mimicked her action. Once she was gone, Kotetsu pulled a face at Barnaby.

"Don't think you can seduce my daughter," he warned.

Barnaby balked. "She's ten. I can assure you it's not a problem."

"Just warning you," Kotetsu said threateningly. "My darling daughter is the most precious and beautiful girl in the whole world, and I won't let anyone take her."

"I suppose it's _something_ to know you're equally ridiculous in every aspect of your life."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to take that," Kotetsu huffed.

"Take it how you want," Barnaby said flatly. "Now, you said you had some designs?"

"Ah! Right!" Kotetsu scrambled back, and hastily grabbed at his sketchbook. As he did so, his elbow went rogue, and bumped into a juice box, sending liquid flying all over it. "No!" Kotetsu desperately dabbed his shirt at the spill, but Barnaby could see the lines had already washed out, leaving the paper a wrinkled mess.

"Your klutziness just gets worse. Why let your daughter leave a juice box on your work table, anyways?" Barnaby scoffed.

Kotetsu gave him a rather strained smile over his shoulder. "It's uh… it's actually mine."

"Of course it is."

"Ahhh, Bunny! Don't use that tone of voice! It's scary!" Kotetsu sighed, and picked up a pencil. "It's fine… there was one in particular I thought you'd really like, too!" He shook his head sadly, while Barnaby merely watched with crossed arms. He tapped his fingers along his bicep.

"I wasted my weekend coming here."

"Not wasted!" Kotetsu protested. "How about this - I'll order some food. I'll restart the sketch, and you get pizza for your time." He beamed, and Barnaby stared back.

"How is this business still open?"

"Hey! I'm more worried about customer satisfaction!"

"Was it customer satisfaction you were worried about when you were blackmailing me?" Barnaby tilted his head. Kotetsu gave a nervous laugh, and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Well… heh… I'll be honest. You'd really gotten under my skin." Kotetsu shrugged. "It was kinda fun to mess with you. Plus - when you get angry, you make the most adorable faces!"

Barnaby pursed his lips, and turned his glare to the wall. _Adorable_ and _cute_ were never used to describe Barnaby. He clucked his tongue, and against his better judgement, agreed to Kotetsu's terms.

"All right!" Kotetsu was beaming once more, and he jumped from his seat, happily clapping both of his hands down on Barnaby's shoulder. The invasion of his personal space startled him, and Barnaby leaned back sharply as Kotetsu's face was suddenly in his own. "So what kinda pizza ya like?"

"I don't typically eat pizza," Barnaby protested. "It's fattening, and unhealthy."

Kotetsu's face dropped, and he gave Barnaby a rather offended look. "My god. You young 'uns. So worried about staying healthy, you miss out on the most delicious things." He clenched his fists, and squinted his eyes up. He cast betrayal on Barnaby, but released him.

Barnaby sighed. "Don't be dramatic."

"It's in my blood! I have a great-great-great-something-or-other that was in kabuki theater!" Kotetsu struck a dramatic pose, and Barnaby tucked his head to hide his smile. He must be losing brain cells being around Kotetsu so often, if he was starting to find the man _almost_ funny.

"Look," Barnaby huffed, "most pizza places have salads. Order me one of those."

"Can I _at least_ convince you to split a cheesy bread with me?" Kotetsu waggled his eyebrows.

Barnaby sniffed with disdain, and made a shooing motion.

"The mighty rabbit has spoken," Kotetsu whispered in awe. "So it shall be." Then he spun, and hurried out of the room.

Barnaby sighed, and glanced at all the pictures on the wall. He gripped the edge of his seat tight. He didn't know what was becoming of him. He had a tattoo, was planning on getting another, he worked at a place with next to no structure, and on top of that, he found himself here, with a man who did everything that Barnaby hated, planning on eating dinner together.

The typical weekend night for Barnaby would have consisted of him sitting at home, listening to opera, researching different corporations, or simply perusing any number of the books on his shelves. He'd always considered his life fulfilling enough. He'd _technically_ achieved everything he'd wanted in life. He'd finished school remarkably early, debt free due to his impeccable performance prior to collegiate life, and his absolute dedication in applying for scholarships. He had his nice loft, and now, he had a job with Helios… it wasn't exactly what he expected, but he had it.

 _This_ , sitting here, being friendly with someone, sharing food, meeting their kid - it felt like someone else's life. Barnaby had wanted none of this. He specifically maintained himself on acquaintances. Maintain the facade that they wanted to see, glean from them what you needed, and then cease continuous contact afterwards.

 _That's what I'll do after this tattoo_ , Barnaby reminded himself. He only had to have communication with Kotetsu during the actual process. There was no reason for their relationship to continue afterwards. So for now, he could deal with the goofiness, with the annoyingness, and everything else. He estimated that it would be another month - and then Kotetsu would be out of his life.

But… Kotetsu came up to his work often. Barnaby could always leave the office to eat. It wasn't like he needed to sit with everyone. They may ask questions, but Barnaby could just fend them off. It would be a simple thing to do. Once this tattoo was covered, and he had what he needed, he'd bolt.

Mind set, Barnaby waited for Kotetsu to return. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket, expecting an email. Instead, he realized Kotetsu had sent him a picture. The man had a stupidly big grin on his face, and had packets of mayonnaise held over what Barnaby assumed was his salad. It was accompanied with a string of emoticons Barnaby couldn't even begin to decipher.

Because of course the stupid old man would use them.

'Just hurry up', Barnaby replied. 'If there's even a drop on there, I'll shove it down your throat.'

He got back another picture of Kotetsu looking absolutely pathetic, captioned, 'Mayo ask what I did to deserve this?'

Barnaby stared at his phone, and actually found himself smiling - just a bit. He decided it was fine. There was no one around, anyways. He tucked his hair behind his ear, and stared at the picture. Once he heard footsteps, he hurriedly tucked his phone away, and returned to his implacably cool demeanor.

"It's about time," Barnaby said. He slanted his gaze to the door, and he saw Kotetsu there - along with the auburn haired woman from the other room. She looked at Barnaby for a moment, before returning her attention to the box in Kotetsu's hands.

"C'mon, _hero_ ," she purred, "me and Ivan are starving."

"No way, Agnes," Kotetsu whined. He jerked the pizza up out of her range - his long limbs working in his favor. "I'm starving!"

"You _just_ ate lunch with Kaede!" she snapped. Her plump lips pulled up into a snarl, as she snapped her fingers at Kotetsu. "Anyways, you _owe_ me, remember? I paid for the last office party! Y'know, when you ate _five whole bags_ of Doritos!"

"Let it go," Kotetsu groaned. "You've been bringing that up for months!"

"And yet I've gotten no amount of reparations from having to not only watch you stuff your disgusting face full, but also having to foot the bill for it!" She glowered at him. "Cough up. A few slices."

Kotetsu stuck his tongue out, and stomped over to his desk. "Fine, you can have some!"

Behind Agnes, the other tattoo artist appeared. He looked young - younger than Barnaby, even, and he appeared to be rather shy. He gave Barnaby a tentative smile, along with a weak wave.

"Here ya go," Kotetsu had pulled paper plates out of his cupboards, and shoved two slices at each of them.

"Next time, don't make it so difficult," Agnes snapped. She turned her eyes to Barnaby. "Don't worry. He's a complete moron, but he's actually a good artist. Don't let us discourage you."

"Oh, don't worry," Barnaby slipped easily into his false smile. "I'm sure I'm in capable hands."

"Neh? Bunny, I'm really beginning to think you have multiple personalities!"

Barnaby shot him a dirty look, while Agnes had a large grin blossoming over her face.

"Ohh?" her voice was rather deep, as she tilted her head. " _Bunny_ , was that?"

"No," Barnaby interjected quickly, still trying to keep enough cheerfulness in his voice. "It's Barnaby, actually."

"I'm certain I heard Bunny - what about you, Ivan?"

Ivan merely gave a half shrug, having already begun to eat his pizza. Agnes huffed.

"Whatever… we'll do this another time." She herded Ivan out of the room, and Kotetsu grimaced.

"Ahh, you'll wanna avoid her. She's been my friend for years, and she's a real good worker, but she likes to stir the pot."

"And whose fault is it that she even has anything to latch onto?" Barnaby demanded. Kotetsu grew sheepish.

"Sorry, sorry," Kotetsu waved his hands through the air. His apology was put off by him having grabbed a slice of his pizza. "Damage is done, anyways." He then turned, grabbed the bag with Barnaby's salad, and wheeled it over to him. "But you really do act different depending on who you're around - it's weird." A slice of pizza was pointed accusatorily at him.

"It's natural," Barnaby argued, "to present yourself how people want to see you." He popped the top off of his salad, and gave it a critical once over. "You definitely didn't put anything on here, did you?"

"Nooope. I was threatened, if you recall?" Kotetsu finished off his slice, and dusted off his fingers, before grabbing at one of his other sketchbooks loitering around. "A rabid animal attacked me!" Kotetsu's eyes bulged out, and he flopped back in his chair. "Ahhh! So horrible!" In his theatrics he managed to roll backwards, grab a pencil, and flip the cover open of his book. "I haven't gotten to use this one yet," Kotetsu confided in him, tapping at the pages. "The first page is very important!"

Barnaby couldn't say he understood. He could recognize art, and could dissect it and analyze it, but he didn't feel any particular emotions while looking at artwork. He supposed, though, that Kotetsu would be considered an artist.

As he ate his salad, Barnaby watched Kotetsu. For once, the man lapsed into silence, and his brown fingers slid down the page. He twirled his pencil in between his long fingers, before setting it to the page. Barnaby ate slower than he normally would, as he kept peering over to watch Kotetsu work. He couldn't see the design from where he was, but he could see the swirls that Kotetsu's motions were creating.

He watched, as Kotetsu became more focused on the drawing, he pushed his sleeves up, revealing his own tattoos swirling up his forearms. Tigers were apparently a favorite motif of his. Kotetsu's tongue slipped between his lips as he worked, and his eyebrow furrowed up. Barnaby finally finished his salad, and got up to throw it away. The noise seemed to break Kotetsu from his trance, as he blinked, and looked up at Barnaby.

"Ah! Sorry, Bunny, sometimes I get really into a drawing. It's rough, but come look." He motioned for Barnaby to come near, and Barnaby hesitated for a moment. He didn't like proximity, but he was rather curious. Slowly, Barnaby drew closer. He bent down, his necklace dangling and almost hitting Kotetsu's shoulder as he looked at the page.

He stifled a noise of surprise.

The page was covered in a brilliant, beautiful phoenix. Fire burst from its wings, as it rose upwards. Even though it was only a pencil sketch, Barnaby could already see that Kotetsu had drawn in vague swirls, dotted areas, and had created the illusion of patterns and colors. In his mind, Barnaby could already picture the beautiful reds bursting to life. He'd seen Kotetsu's art portfolio - he knew the man specialized in vivid palettes.

Barnaby glanced to his right, and saw that Kotetsu's expression was rather soft. His usually rambunctious look was tempered by something else, and the corners of his mouth only turned up ever-so-slightly. Barnaby swallowed spit that had been collecting, and shuttered his lids over his eyes as he quickly stood back up.

"It's good," he said. "I actually… like that one."

"That's good!" Kotetsu grinned, and went to flip the page. "Would you like to know the other concept ideas, or -?"

"No," Barnaby interrupted. "I don't need to see any others."

Kotetsu stopped, and chuckled. "Ahh - I'm glad I was right about this one then! It _would_ have sucked to spend all that time and you not like it."

Barnaby gave him another close-lipped smile. "I'm free to leave, right? There's nothing else to be done tonight?"

Kotetsu nodded. "That's fine. I'll have a stencil ready next time - I'm assuming next weekend is fine?"

"It is… You're only open business hours, right?"

"Ah, yeah," Kotetsu laughed. "Sometimes I pick up Kaede from school, and take her to her grandmother's. The bus doesn't go out there."

Barnaby frowned. "Why not just take her home?"

"Oh - just, outlying circumstances." Kotetsu was being vague on purpose, and Barnaby quickly dropped the subject. He left for the night, returning home and to the comfort of his books. He went to work the next day, and headed straight to his corner. The paperwork still seemed exceedingly daunting, but Barnaby welcomed the challenge. He was insistent upon imposing some kind of order in this place. Even though he'd relaxed on wearing his suit, he still made sure to dress impeccably.

Once lunch rolled around, Kotetsu appeared as usual. He waved a bag at Barnaby.

"Salad," he said, at Barnaby's confused look. "You complained last week about the shop next door's, so I came to the rescue." Kotetsu attempted an heroic look, but was hampered by the swinging plastic bag that hit his thigh.

"My hero," Barnaby said dryly. He rose from his seat, and took the bag from Kotetsu. They headed down towards the dining area.

"You know, you really ought to pay attention to when lunch is," Kotetsu warned him, as they rounded a corner. "What if I didn't come one day? Then who'd fetch you down?"

"Missing a meal isn't so horrible." Barnaby smirked. "Perhaps you should give it a try sometime, old man?"

"Nathan's always telling me I'm too skinny," Kotetsu said as they entered the courtyard. They approached the table, and Kotetsu plopped down. Barnaby had learned to let him sit first, so as to avoid getting hit by limb shrapnel. "Aren't I too skinny, Nathan?"

"That's right," Nathan rumbled. "You and Handsome both. Granted, I guess you're a little better." Nathan reached a hand out, and gave Barnaby a sympathetic pat. "Honey, it's nothing personal. I love twinks in theory, but…" A voracious grin overtook his face as he glanced at Antonio, who suddenly became more interested in his lunch.

Kotetsu grimaced, and Barnaby sat still. He blinked, then glanced at Kotetsu.

"Oh! That bag - that's by your shop, Kotetsu. Did you bring Handsome food and not the rest of us?" Nathan crossed his arms, and glared accusingly at Kotetsu.

"Aw, don't be like that! Bunny doesn't like the place next door!"

"No one does, you jerk!" Nathan sniffed, and poked at his fries.

Barnaby stopped with his fork dug into his salad, and saw Kotetsu waving away Nathan's complaints. He hadn't said thank-you to Kotetsu… he supposed he should have, but now was too late. They were in front of everyone. He turned back to his salad.

"Preferential treatment," Antonio spoke up, his burger held in his fist. His already intimidating eyebrows drew lower.

"It's just because Barnaby's young and beautiful," Nathan sighed, and fluttered his lashes.

"It's not!" Kotetsu flushed.

"Don't harass him," Barnaby interrupted. All three turned to him, as he waved a hand airily. "He's paid his dues to society. He deserves to retire in peace." He finished with his affable smile, and Kotetsu stretched his lips with his fingers, shoving his tongue out at Barnaby. "See? Senile. Low hanging fruit." Barnaby waved his hand at Kotetsu, trying to get him away.

He felt something slimy brush up against him, and he recoiled in disgust.

"Did you _lick_ me?" Barnaby snapped, and Kotetsu cackled.

"That's what you get - using that creepy fake smile on me!"

"It's not _fake_! And I don't care how I smile, you don't _lick_ me! That's disgusting! Do you know how many germs are in the human mouth? Or on skin - from casual contact with everyday objects? Not only did you put me at risk - but yourself, as well! I knew you were stupid, but this is a new level!"

"Ah~!" Kotetsu laughed. "There's the real Bunny! See! I told you all he was secretly mean!"

"Kotetsu, stop provoking Handsome," Nathan lectured. He dug into his purse, and pulled out a small bottle of hand sanitizer. "Here, honey."

"Thank-you," Barnaby said stiffly. He squirted some on his hand, and pursed his lips. He'd just acted like a fool in front of his boss. But then he realized both Antonio and Nathan appeared to be on the verge of laughter. They seemed to be holding it in for Barnaby's benefit.

They weren't disappointed with him. Barnaby felt his shoulders relax, and he actually offered up a small laugh.

"I guess I lost myself for a moment, there."

"It's fine. If I had any of Kotetsu's germs on me, I'd probably lose it and deck him." Antonio chuckled, and pointed at Kotetsu. "You here that?"

"Tch. Nobody's licking you, Bison."

"On the contrary -,"

"Nathan," both Antonio and Kotetsu sounded strangled. Barnaby blinked. He hadn't realized that Nathan and Antonio were together. He knew the two were close, but he hadn't thought anything of beyond that. He was rather bad at that sort of thing, though. He had never really been interested in dating, and thus tended to not notice whenever others were going through such predicaments. He also realized that Kotetsu had a spouse he'd never met.

Barnaby furrowed his brow, and shoved his fork around in his salad.

Lunch ended shortly after that, and it was back to work. The week progressed nicely, each day Kotetsu bringing him a different salad (Nathan and Antonio having given up), and with Barnaby putting an even larger dent in the paperwork. At one point, he'd come in, just to realize that even more had been added to the stack. He sighed, accepted it, and surged onwards. By the time the weekend came around, Barnaby found he actually had a jittery feeling about the upcoming tattoo. He supposed today would be the day that it happened.

Since he was just going to get the tattoo done, he dressed casually, in one of his older shirts that was just a bit too short. He figured it wouldn't matter, since he was going straight there. It was his most comfortable shirt, if not for that unfortunate part. He also slipped on simple cargo pants. He felt significantly underdressed, but comfortable.

He pulled on his jacket, and drove over to the tattoo shop. As he was walking up, the door swung wide, and almost nailed him. He stopped, bewildered, as a hectic Kotetsu came flying out. He appeared to have hastily pulled on half of his jacket, and had just barely swung a scarf around his neck. He saw Barnaby, and immediately smacked himself in the face.

"I'm so sorry, Bunny!" Kotetsu rambled out. "I totally forgot that Kaede has an ice skating show tonight! I was just about to call you - I'm actually about to run to the bus stop, I'm gonna be late as it is, Kaede's gonna kill me and - ," Kotetsu broke off. "Wait… you have a car, right?"

Barnaby gave a slow nod.

"Could you _please_ drive me there!" Kotetsu clapped his hands together, pleading. "This way I won't be late! Or, at least, too late!" He looked pathetic, and Barnaby, for some reason, found himself nodding. Before Barnaby could do or say anything else, Kotetsu surged forward, and wrapped his arms tight around Barnaby.

Barnaby couldn't recall a moment in his adult life where he'd received a hug. Not a full, genuine hug like this. Kotetsu's jacket was half off, and Barnaby could feel his heartbeat where their chests met, and Kotetsu's grateful laughter sent warm puffs of air ghosting against Barnaby's ear. He could feel where Kotetsu's nose was in his curls, and surprisingly strong arms were wrapped around him, sandwiching his arms to sides to where, even if he'd been so inclined as to hug back, he couldn't.

It only lasted for a few seconds, before Kotetsu quickly drew back, and hurried to Barnaby's car. Barnaby called himself back to reality, and climbed into the driver seat.

"I'm really sorry about this, Bunny," Kotetsu said for the millionth time. He insisted on apologizing in between each direction he gave. "I completely forgot until my mom called me!" He groaned, and scrubbed at his face. "If I'd missed this, there's no way Kaede would ever have forgiven me!"

"It's fine, this is payment for all the salads," Barnaby placated. They pulled into the parking lot, and Barnaby was able to locate a spot rather easily.

"Oh!" Kotetsu breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm early… I don't think I've ever been early. You drive kinda fast, huh, Bunny?"

"I drive the speed limit," Barnaby said. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Hey, why not come watch it with me?"

Kotetsu had a big grin on his face, and Barnaby found himself stupefied.

"What?"

"Yeah, why not come watch it with me! She's really pretty when she gets going!" Kotetsu tried to mimic graceful movements with his arms, but simply managed to smack his forearm into the dashboard. "C'mon, why not?"

Barnaby could think of a lot of reasons why not. He wasn't close to Kaede, he didn't know her outside of their one brief interaction. He wasn't friends with Kotetsu, nor was he family. He had no business here. But for some reason, the more Kotetsu stared at him with that doofus grin of his, Barnaby slowly found himself nodding.

Kotetsu whooped with glee, and scrambled out of the car back into the cold. Barnaby sat for a few seconds, evaluating why the hell he was here, before turning off his car and joining Kotetsu. As they approached the building, Kotetsu instructed him to their seats, while he took off in the opposite direction. Barnaby watched him disappear into a crowd of people, before making his way to the stands.

The seats were rather close, and Barnaby could see several kids were already out on the ice. He spotted Kaede. She had on a rather plain leotard - he supposed for her to practice in - and she was doing simple little twirls. She spun up into the air, landed, and swiveled, spotting Barnaby across the rink.

Her face burned pink, and Barnaby gave her a polite wave. She returned it, before hurriedly skating over to one of her friends. He watched as they both began giggling, while very obviously looking at him. Kaede finally skated over to his side, and pressed her fingers up against the glass.

"Is dad here?" she shouted. Barnaby gave her a quick nod, and Kaede's face blossomed into a sweet smile. Then she skated back to her friend, and they headed through one of the exits to the locker rooms. Left to his own devices, Barnaby watched as parents began filling in the seats around him, and with them, came Kotetsu.

The older man's hands were full of popcorn, a chili cheese dog, and a few boxes of candy. He sat down, and tried to carefully arrange the food all around them. Barnaby retracted, but Kotetsu handed him a water bottle, and Barnaby decided to forgive him.

"Ahh, I can't believe this, Bunny! I'm early!" Kotetsu clapped his hands eagerly. After the third clap, though, his face fell, and he turned desperately on Barnaby. "Wait! I didn't get her flowers! She's supposed to have flowers at the end of her routine!" He jumped to his feet, and Barnaby rolled his eyes, grabbed Kotetsu's shoulder, and jerked him back into his seat.

"I'm sure she'd much rather you be here, then some stupid flowers," Barnaby lectured, recalling the happy expression on Kaede's face.

Kotetsu clucked his tongue, but slumped back into his seat. "Always so logical, Bunny!"

"Indeed…" Barnaby fiddled with the water bottle in his lap, his fingertips fraying the paper. "So - where's your spouse?" At Kotetsu's befuddled look, Barnaby pointed at the wedding band around his finger.

"Oh…" Kotetsu glanced at his hand, and his smile became far too big, and wobbled at the edges. "Tomoe died a long time ago."

Barnaby frowned. "Oh. I apologize."

"Ah, it's no big deal. You didn't know." Kotetsu was staring at the ice rink with a bit too much concentration, and he was twirling the band around his finger. Barnaby was rather upset with himself. He had bungled this up, and the worst part was it bothered him. He had nothing to gain from Kotetsu, and yet he still found himself pissed that he'd messed up basic conversation with the man.

He sat in silence for a moment, until Kotetsu leaned over, and bumped his shoulder against Barnaby.

"Hey, Bunny," Kotetsu smiled, his voice soft, "don't look so put out. It's fine. I promise." He was too close, and Barnaby could see the exact spots that Kotetsu shaved to get his stupid tiger-striped beard. "You should smile!" Kotetsu pulled a face, pursing his lips, and crossing his eyes. Barnaby's gaze remained flat. "Aw, c'mon, Bunny! You're cuter when you smile!"

"Shut up, old man," Barnaby huffed, and leaned back in his seat. He realized that a few people were looking at them. "I'm not smiling just because you ask me too. If you want me to smile, try doing something funny for once." Barnaby smirked, and Kotetsu snapped his fingers.

"I'm counting that!"

Barnaby rolled his eyes and crossed his legs. Kotetsu dug into his food. Barnaby waited until he had a huge mouthful, before leaning back over, and asking, "So - you hate the word twink?"

Kotetsu choked, and glowered at Barnaby. He fought to chew his food, before flicking Barnaby in the nose. Startled, Barnaby lept back, his hands shooting up to his face.

"You did that on purpose," Kotetsu griped. He grabbed Barnaby's water from him, and took a swig.

Barnaby shrugged. Even though he'd been accosted, he still felt rather amused at Kotetsu's haggard appearance.

"And -," Kotetsu held up a finger, "I don't care about the word. I just… figured you wouldn't like it. Or know what it meant. You're a bit uptight."

Barnaby huffed. "Please, old man, I've existed in this world. You think I haven't been called that before?" He tucked one of his curls back behind his ear. "Perhaps not always by someone as… well-meaning as Seymour."

"Oh, Bunny," Kotetsu pushed his lip in a pout, picked up a packet of salt, and looped his arm around Barnaby. "You didn't deserve that kind of _a-salt_!"

Barnaby groaned. "Get the hell away from me! You have a chronic case of stupid."

Kotetsu paused for a moment, and stared at Barnaby. "Ha…" the laugh sounded a little strange. "Tomoe used to tell me that all the time." He held Barnaby for a second more, before hastily releasing him, and grabbing more food.

Barnaby once more returned to the water bottle in his lap until the announcer's voice rolled through the speakers, announcing the start of the show. Kotetsu seemed to firmly believe that the only one that mattered in the show was Kaede, and loudly pronounced it to Barnaby, who had to endure the heated stares from surrounding parents.

Kaede's number was finally announced, and she came out onto the rink with several other kids her age. Her dress was a beautiful dark green, and she had leaves woven into the braids on top of her head. The tutu looked as if it were made of leaves, and she even had vines crawling over her arms. There appeared to be two kids per season, and, as soon as they were in position, the music began.

Kaede swirled around with another girl, the two eventually being tossed into the representation of winter, where Kaede was dipped almost to the ground, her hair almost scraping the surface of the ice. It was hard to enjoy the beauty of the number, with Kotetsu gasping every time she was dropped, or whooping every time she stuck a landing. Barnaby knew that Kaede was good, though, and her face appeared so calm and blissful throughout the number.

Her number finished with her and the other spring girl skating back up to their winter ice partners, being thrown in the air, and landed several consecutive twirls, one leg raised high as they lapped the rest of their dance partners.

Kotetsu was the first one to start clapping, as he jumped up and stood on top of his seat, screaming for Kaede, and clapping so hard Barnaby was sure his hands were going to be bruised. Instead of stopping him, Barnaby stood as well - giving polite claps. He could see Kaede's chest heaving as she tried to regain her breath to bow, all the while seeming to have conflicting emotions about her father's exuberant display of love.

"I'm not waiting for the rest of these kids," Kotetsu jabbed a thumb at the rink as Kaede skated off. He grabbed Barnaby's hand, and pulled him up after him. "C'mon, we gotta go meet up with her."

"Kotetsu," Barnaby complained as he was pulled along. "She's not going to be allowed out until the program is over - and you _cannot_ go into a locker room full of eleven year old girls."

Kotetsu finally stopped, looking rather crestfallen. "Hey... !" Kotetsu pulled out his phone, and punched something in. "Okay - c'mon!" He started to tug at Barnaby, who drew his hand back in exasperation. He crossed his arms.

"What the hell are you planning on doing? Whatever it is, you can do it without tearing my arm out of its socket."

"There's a flower shop within walking distance," Kotetsu explained impatiently, flashing his phone screen at Barnaby. "C'mon, Bunny! This is important!"

"Why do I have to go with you? Shouldn't someone be here to explain to her that you didn't just leave?"

"We'll be back before the show's over! You're right, she'll be back in her locker room! C'mon!"

Reluctantly, Barnaby followed behind. Cold wind tore at his jacket, and he glowered at Kotetsu as they trudged through the oncoming winter weather. His jacket was unfortunately more cosmetic than actually helpful against the elements.

"I just realized - you're wearing normal clothes!" Kotetsu pointed rather rudely at Barnaby as they walked, and Barnaby scowled.

"I thought I was going to get my tattoo started," he snipped. "I wore old clothes."

"It's nice to see you casual." Kotetsu gave him another one of his stupidly easy smiles, and Barnaby turned his head away. "You're usually so prim and proper."

"Some of us care about our outward appearances."

Kotetsu scoffed. "Who cares about that?"

"Your protests don't carry much weight, considering you think lime green and orange match."

"They're opposites on the color wheel!"

"They are most certainly not."

"In my internal one…" Kotetsu gave him a sneaky grin. "Hey," he bumped his shoulder against Barnaby's, "for all your talk about my taste, you're trusting me to ink you."

"Please, don't remind me." Barnaby sighed. They arrived at the flower shop, and Barnaby opted to wait outside. He watched Kotetsu for a moment through the window, before turning his face upwards to the sky. He was surprised to see that snowflakes had begun falling.

It was sparse, and they didn't stick, but Barnaby watched them swirl downwards from the heavens. He heard the door chime, and he turned to see Kotetsu standing there with a large bouquet of flowers, smiling.

"I knew your personality was frosty, Bunny, but this is excessive!"

Barnaby snorted, but shook out his hair, snowflakes falling all around him.

"You looked really pretty just now, Bunny!" Kotetsu said cheerfully, and Barnaby balked.

"Excuse me?"

"You know - you've got such long, fluttery lashes, and there's snow everywhere. Like a Christmas angel!" Kotetsu pulled a bright red flower, with a white inside, from the bouquet, and reached out. Barnaby remained still, as Kotetsu's fingers pushed his hair back, and tucked the flower into place. "Even prettier!"

Barnaby felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. Kotetsu had already whirled back around, and had started a weird, bandy-legged gait up the sidewalk. Barnaby lifted one hand up to the soft flower petals, before following behind Kotetsu. He didn't know what Kotetsu was trying to accomplish here. He knew Kotetsu was always trying to wheedle a smile out of him, but for what purpose Barnaby couldn't begin to comprehend. He supposed this was just another tactic. Perhaps it was to laugh at his teeth again?

Barnaby pursed his lips. He'd never had a complex about his teeth, until Kotetsu opened his stupid fat mouth. And now, Barnaby didn't even know _why_ he cared what Kotetsu thought, or why it mattered if his teeth were a little big. No one else had ever pointed it out.

"Keep up, Bunny!" Kotetsu shouted over his shoulder. "We got a deadline!"

"There wouldn't be any need to rush," Barnaby said calmly, "if you hadn't decided to go on this expedition. And that ridiculous walk isn't helping your speed at all." He'd already caught up with Kotetsu, who gave him a rather strained look.

"Bunnyyyy. Spending time with you is great, but you gotta loosen up sometimes!"

"I'm loose enough."

Kotetsu clapped his hand to his mouth, and stifled a laugh. Barnaby flushed, and stomped ahead of Kotetsu.

"Oh, Bunny, don't be like that! I'm sorry!" Kotetsu continued to pay apologies their whole walk back. Barnaby finally relented, but only because they were coming in range of people. The show had just ended, and parents were filtering out with their kids. Barnaby stuck beside Kotetsu, as he weaved through the crowd, keeping the flowers pressed close to him. Barnaby nudged him, as he could see Kaede's braids were still piled high, leaves sticking out of them.

"Kaede!" Kotetsu cheered, and rushed forward. Before Kaede could even respond, Kotetsu had scooped her up, and was twirling her eagerly around. "You were beautiful! Perfect! The best little girl to ever exist! Daddy was so proud!"

"Dad!" Kaede protested, landing light, ineffective punches against her father's shoulders. "Put me down! You're so embarrassing when you act like this!"

"Kotetsu!" A small Japanese woman stood where Kaede had been, and used her purse to whack at the exuberant father.

"Ow! Ma!"

"Put her down, you fool."

Kotetsu begrudgingly released Kaede, and thrust the bouquet in her direction. She had to practically go cross eyed to look at it, but she did take it from him, a smile on her face.

"Thanks, dad," Kaede muttered, and held the flowers to her chest. "And uh… hi, Barnaby." Her cheeks were red. "I'm glad you came… is that a flower?"

Kotetsu's mother noticed him as well, and Barnaby mentally cursed Kotetsu.

"It is a flower," Barnaby said slowly, thinking, "I got it at - ,"

"I gave it to him!" Kotetsu said happily, and Barnaby gave him a distraught look. Kotetsu didn't seem bothered in the slightest. "You should have seen him! He had snow all over him - it was all he was missing to look like a painting or something."

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Dad, you're so weird sometimes." She began running her fingers over the petals of her bouquet, though, and her grandmother had stepped up, eyeing Kotetsu.

"So, who is this? You didn't introduce us, you rude boy." She wagged her wizened finger at Kotetsu, but Barnaby could see she had the same laughing brown eyes that all the Kaburagis seemed to have.

"Ah, this is my friend and client, Barnaby! Bu - Barnaby, this is my mom - Anju."

Barnaby was grateful that Kotetsu had caught himself, and resisted the urge to say that stupid name. He was surprised to hear himself introduced as a friend, however, and had to recenter himself. He soon extended his hand to Anju, and plastered on his best smile.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Kaburagi," Barnaby greeted. He slanted his eyebrows up the way older women tended to love - it made him look much softer in appearance.

Anju took his hand, but turned to Kotetsu. "He always give fake smiles like that?"

Barnaby was stunned into silence.

"Unfortunately," Kotetsu sighed. "I'm trying to break him of it."

"You guys, stop bullying Barnaby," Kaede intervened for him.

Anju shook his hand, and gave Kaede a shooing motion. "He's fine. I was just curious, is all. In the future, I'd rather you didn't smile at all then that."

Barnaby gave a mute nod, and stuffed his hands into his jacket.

"Ahhh, sorry, Bu - Barnaby, I should have warned you about mom!" Kotetsu clapped his hand on Barnaby's shoulder, and gave him a quick shake. He stage-whispered, "She can be a bit much."

"Kotetsu, please don't make me hit you again. Now, come on. Kaede's hungry."

Kaede shot a fervid glance at Barnaby. "Are you coming with us?"

Barnaby was prepared to say 'no'. He'd only come because Kotetsu had needed a ride, so it was about time he got going. However, all three sets of brown eyes were on him, and something about their faces made him admit that he was feeling a bit peckish.

"Not that your father helped with that," Barnaby couldn't resist adding, "after he stuffed his face full during the performance."

"I was hungry!" Kotetsu protested.

"You're _always_ hungry," Kaede said. She rolled her eyes at her father, and turned back to Anju. "Where are we going to eat?"

"I'd say your choice - you did such a good job, after all." Anju patted her head, and Kaede soon listed a restaurant that Barnaby had never heard of. Anju assured him that it was within walking distance, and that it would be easier to leave their cars behind. They took off, and Barnaby hung around in the back, listening to Kotetsu proclaim as loudly as possible how amazing his baby girl was.

"Dad," Kaede grimaced, "please _stop_. It's embarrassing!" She glanced back at Barnaby, before shoving at her dad. "I'm walking with grandma now!"

Kotetsu fell back to where Barnaby was, looking highly dispirited from his daughter's rejections.

"If you'd just calm down, she'd probably be fine with your compliments," Barnaby said.

"Do you think I go overboard?"

"In every aspect of your existence? - Yes. But especially with compliments." Barnaby could feel heat in his stomach at every 'cute' he'd received… and now a 'pretty'. He scowled at the sidewalk, ignoring Kotetsu's pouting.

"I don't even say half of what I think, y'know? She really is the best." When Barnaby looked up, he could see Kotetsu's soft smile, and the uninhibited love that showed on his face. Barnaby wondered if his parents would ever have looked at him that way. Kotetsu turned to him. "Why the long face, Bunny? You feeling left out?"

"Pardon me?"

"Don't worry, Bunny," Kotetsu drawled, and threw his arm around Barnaby's shoulders, "I think you're great, too! So cute - unlike this old man!" Kotetsu pulled a face, and Barnaby scoffed, attempting to extricate himself from Kotetsu's insistent grip. It threw him off how strong Kotetsu apparently was.

"I'm not worried about stupid things like that," Barnaby huffed, finally freeing himself. He attempted to straighten out his jacket, and fix his hair.

"Stop fussing," Kotetsu stretched a hand out, and ruffled up Barnaby's hair even worse. "You'll look good no matter what you do!"

" _Shut up_!" Barnaby felt himself growing angrier. He stopped, as Anju and Kaede continued on. Kotetsu halted as well, clearly confused.

"Bunny, what's wrong?" Kotetsu sounded genuinely concerned, and that pissed off Barnaby even more.

"Stop giving me compliments! I don't know what you want, or what your end goal is, but it's starting to really piss me off." Barnaby shoved his hands in his pockets, and glowered at Kotetsu. He could feel a familiar sting behind his eyes, but suppressed it.

Kotetsu frowned, and reached forward. Barnaby went to take a step back, but Kotetsu was already there, his hands encircling Barnaby's wrists. It was clear he would have gone for hands, had Barnaby been willing to relinquish his. Instead, Barnaby maintained his glare, several inches from Kotetsu's face.

"I'm sorry," Kotetsu said. Barnaby blinked. "Ahh… you see how I am with Kaede… I just go a little overboard, sometimes." He tilted his head to the side, and the corners of his mouth pushed into a deeper frown. "I'm not tryin' to get anything from you, Bunny, believe me."

Barnaby remained silent, and he could feel Kotetsu's grip start to loosen around his wrists. The man looked defeated, with his shoulders slumped down, and a definitive tinge of unhappiness blurring his features.

Barnaby sighed, pressed his lips into a thin line, and pulled his hands from his pockets. He slid them up, and for just a brief moment, Barnaby could feel the callouses of Kotetsu's palms against his own. He could feel the tough skin, and the lines etched into his fingers. He stared at their interlocked hands.

He opened his mouth to speak, when he was distracted by a cough.

Both he and Kotetsu turned sharply, hands still connected, as they realized Kaede and Anju had circled back around.

"You boys okay?" Anju asked, as Kaede's eyes fell to their hands. Barnaby quickly jerked his away, and shoved them back into his pockets.

"Ah, yes, ma'am. I apologize." Barnaby coughed, and shook his hair out. "Kotetsu's palms were rather dry, and he was asking what lotion he should try." It was not his best lie, and it was clear that Anju didn't really believe him. Kaede didn't seem particularly interested in what he was saying, and was instead focused on her father, who was slowly ambling up.

"C'mon! Let's not sit out here cold! Let's grub!"

The restaurant Kaede had chosen was rather nice - it was a simple burger place, set up with a fifties theme. Their table had a little jukebox, and both Kaede and Kotetsu kept arguing over it. They apparently came here often, and both saved up quarters for the ensuing music war. Kaede would aggressively play contemporary pop, while Kotetsu kept trying to swerve it back to jazz and classic rock.

"So, Kotetsu said you're a client of his?" Anju was peering critically at Barnaby across the table. He gave a slow nod. "A boy like you doesn't seem the kind to get tattoos, but, I guess the world is changing." She smiled, and the lines around her face became more prominent.

"I've never really been interested in tattoos before," Barnaby admitted, "so you'd be right there… However, I saw your son's artwork, and it was absolutely astounding." He saw that Kotetsu had paused in pumping quarters, to give Barnaby a rather astonished, yet pleased look. It wasn't _exactly_ a lie, but he certainly didn't want to admit to anybody else that he had a 'bunny tramp stamp', as Kotetsu had put it. After all, he was just now getting to the point where he could vocally admit that he was getting a tattoo at all.

"He is very good, isn't he?" Anju smiled, and patted Kotetsu's arm. The tattoo sleeves were hidden, as Kotetsu was layered up. "This boy used to draw all through class - we were surprised when he graduated." Her voice became a bit sterner, and Kotetsu at least had the sense to look embarrassed.

"Ma!" Kotetsu pouted. "I never was the brightest crayon," he said to Bunny, "but luckily - this one here took after Tomoe!" He reached over and pinched Kaede's cheeks. They both had a strange, bitter-sweet expression about them, before Kaede swatted Kotetsu's hand away.

"Stop being embarrassing," Kaede instructed. The waitress had already delivered their drinks, and was now ready to take their order. Kotetsu predictably ordered more than any human should knock back, while Barnaby ordered his customary salad.

"Aw, c'mon, Bunny!" Both Anju and Kaede seemed surprised at the nickname, as they all handed their menus back to the waitress. "You could have at least ordered a veggie burger or somethin'!"

"Veggie burgers still use buns, and that's more carbs then I'm willing to eat," Barnaby replied, taking a sip of his water. Kotetsu's face was filled with disgust.

"Oh, Kotetsu, leave the boy be. It wouldn't kill _you_ to eat a little better, would it?" Anju squinted at her son.

"I don't eat that bad!"

"Kotetsu, the only thing you know how to do is cook fried rice, and use a microwave."

"The essential skills. And anyways, I don't eat anything that bad."

"Just the other day you tried to put mayonnaise on my salad," Barnaby interrupted. "You even put it on your own pizza."

"So?" Kotetsu frowned. "Mayo isn't unhealthy!" At everyone's perturbed looks, Kotetsu seemed to grow more upset. "Wait - is mayo bad for you?"

"Ai-ya," Anju hung her head. "Where did I go wrong with you?"

"I don't think there's anything you could have done to prevent it," Barnaby assured her. "He was a lost cause regardless." Anju smiled at him, and he returned it.

"Ahh! There! See! He _does_ have real ones sometimes!"

"Stop pointing, old man," Barnaby snapped, pushing Kotetsu's index finger back down onto the table.

"Ugh… this is why you don't have any friends outside of Uncle Antonio," Kaede grumbled. The waitress returned with their plates, and they all ate. The Kaburagis maintained most of the dialogue from then on, and Barnaby merely listened.

He learned that Kotetsu had an older brother, that he'd went to the hospital so many times as a kid Anju lost track, that he used to have a habit of disappearing into the woods with wildlife, and that he'd always struggled to control his actions.

"Whenever he first asked Tomoe out," Anju had said, "he got so nervous that she'd say no, that he managed to trip over a pebble, fell on her, and smashed her nose."

"We missed prom because of that," Kotetsu said wistfully. "But I got to go over to her house, and we watched movies all night."

Barnaby learned that Tomoe was very much like Kaede. She had a fiery temper, and was unafraid to put Kotetsu in his place. They'd grown up together their whole lives, and she had been the best at reminding him what an idiot he was. Hearing all of this gave Barnaby the strange feeling of not belonging. It wasn't a particularly new feeling for him - he'd always been a bit of the odd one out. He had never gotten along with people unless he'd needed to, and he'd never had a steady guardian to keep an eye on him. He'd never dated, he'd never had a childhood friend, and he had no one to bounce happy stories off of the way they did. The Kaburagis all told their stories together, in a confused jumble, each jumping in at inopportune times to remind the others of how it had _really_ happened, or what had happened afterwards.

"We keep talking so much!" Anju finally said. They'd all finished eating, but Kaede had wanted ice cream, and Kotetsu had agreed that she deserved whatever she wanted. "Barnaby, dear, what about your family?" Both Kotetsu and Kaede froze up, but Barnaby merely slipped on his most polite smile.

"They died when I was four years old," Barnaby told her.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, dear. But what about the people that raised you?"

"Dead as well, ma'am." Barnaby felt Kaede shift in her seat next to him. Anju lapsed into silence, her face troubled. "Please, Mrs. Kaburagi, you don't need to be upset." He was suddenly aware that his smile didn't quite match the tone of his voice, but he persisted. "When you grow up without these things, you don't really have anything to miss, so I'm all right."

That had always been true. But sitting and listening to other people who _did_ have those things had certainly brought on an acute sense of longing. Barnaby now wondered what it would have been like, had any of his three guardians managed to survive. He still didn't foresee any of them turning out quite like this.

Kaede finished her dessert, and it was time to go. Kotetsu paid, and turned down Barnaby's offer to help - or to at least pay for his own portion.

"You drove me here, and kept me company," Kotetsu had said as he smiled. Barnaby had been struck by the strange thought that he would have done anything Kotetsu asked in that moment, with that tender look turned on him. Barnaby quickly headed outside to wait with Kaede and Anju.

Kaede was talking to Anju, and they both attempted to reel Barnaby into the conversation with them. He made small talk, but he couldn't seem to get back into the right frame of mind. When Kotetsu came to join them, they started the walk back to the cars.

This time Kotetsu stayed up front with Kaede, as she held his hand. Their matching bracelets clicked around their wrists, and Barnaby watched them all from afar. Back at the skating rink, Kotetsu bent to hug Kaede good-bye, and kissed his mother on the cheek.

"Will we be seeing you again, Barnaby?" Anju asked. Kaede looked rather hopeful.

"I'm not sure, ma'am," Barnaby replied honestly. Kotetsu jabbed him in the ribs.

"We'll see, ma. I might have to rope him in some other time!" Kotetsu waved at his mother, as she and Kaede made off to their car. Then, Kotetsu turned a glare on him, and wagged his finger. "Now, Bunny - we're friends now! You very well might run into her again!"

Barnaby shrugged. "I'm only here today since you didn't have a ride. Why _don't_ you have a car, by the way?"

"I have a bike," Kotetsu answered, "but it's cold out, Bunny!" He faked a shiver, and knocked his shoulder up against Barnaby's.

"If you walk, what's the difference?"

"Ahhh - a _motor_ bike, Bunny. Goes a bit faster than my walking speed!"

"A tattoo artist owning a motorcycle - what a cliche you are."

"Damn, I was hoping the 'doting father' and 'absolute klutz' were giving me points!"

Barnaby smiled, and felt some of the ill feelings sliding off of his shoulders. "I suppose."

"And you're one to talk! Prim, proper kid being a well-off prude, worried about his looks." Kotetsu clicked his tongue.

"Damn, I was hoping the 'bunny tattoo' was giving me points." It wasn't as hard to say it out loud to Kotetsu, especially knowing that soon, it would be gone. Covered up by the rise of a phoenix. Kotetsu was grinning, and clambered into Barnaby's car, only managing to knock his head one time.

"To the shop!"

"Are you going to work this late?" Barnaby clicked his seatbelt into place, and Kotetsu shook his head.

"Nah. But it's closer than my place."

"If you walk to work, your place can't be that far off. Where is it?"

Kotetsu gave him the address, and Barnaby took off. It seemed that without the stress of being late to his daughter's performance, Kotetsu was willing to be much more obnoxious.

"Didn't realize that this was such a fancy car!" Kotetsu gave an appreciative whistle. He then began fiddling with Barnaby's radio. Soon Kotetsu was blaring music, and aggressively playing air guitar in the seat next to Barnaby, who was attempting to drown him out as well as he could.

Then Kotetsu was singing loudly, horribly, and off-key.

" _Remember yesterday, walking hand in hand_

 _Love letters in the sand, I remember you_

 _Through the sleepless nights through every endless day_

 _I'd want to hear you say, I remember you oh oh"_

"Old man, you're going to give me a migraine," Barnaby grumbled. He reached to turn the sound down, but Kotetsu's one-man performance kept him from reaching it.

"C'mon Bunny! Sing with me!"

"I don't know this song, nor am I going to sing with you."

"Bunnyyyyyy! C'mon! You gotta love the classics!"

"I do," Barnaby said, glancing for just a moment at Kotetsu's pitiful profile. "I'm quite fond of older compositions. I love _Danse Macabre_. The accompanying poem is wonderful, as well."

Kotetsu gave him a blank look.

"Exactly."

"Well?" Kotetsu turned down the volume, and motioned at Barnaby. Barnaby drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, before lifting his brow up in curiosity. "Do you know the poem?"

" _Zig, zig, zig, Death in cadence,_

 _Striking a tomb with his heel,_

 _Death at midnight plays a dance-tune,_

 _Zig, zig, zag, on his violin._

 _The winter wind blows, and the night is dark;_

 _Moans are heard in the linden trees._

 _White skeletons pass through the gloom,_

 _Running and leaping in their shrouds._ "

Barnaby knew the poem by heart, but stopped once he realized Kotetsu was actually paying attention to him. The older man had rested his elbow on the console, and had been suspiciously silent throughout the two stanzas.

"What?" Barnaby finally asked.

"Nothing - it's just a pretty metal poem," Kotetsu grinned. "You also got super into it." The moment Barnaby turned away, Kotetsu made a noise of protest. "Hey, I know you don't like compliments but… The way you said it, it was really pretty. I've never been one for poems but, you had this nice lilt to your voice." Kotetsu's eyes were closed, and the smile hadn't completely faded from his face.

Barnaby gripped his steering wheel tighter. "Well… It's a good poem. It's a good song, as well. You should look into it. Might teach you a little something about the _actual_ classics."

Kotetsu laughed, and Barnaby realized that… he was the reason Kotetsu was laughing - and that he kind of liked it.

"You got me there, Bunny! Ah - that's my apartment building."

Barnaby pulled in and parked in the nearest spot.

"Wha-a-at?" Kotetsu unhooked his seatbelt. "You're not gonna walk an old man to his door? I could get mugged, y'know!" He winked, and Barnaby felt his stomach tighten once more.

"Please, old man, I think you'll be fine."

"If I get stabbed, I can just imagine you at my hospital bed now -," Kotetsu pulled a painful grimace, and pushed his voice into a high falsetto, " - _I'm so sorry, Kotetsu_! _I was such a fool_! _Now my only friend, and also coolest friend, is dead_!" Then he burst into fake sobs.

Barnaby snorted. "If you're my only friend, then the 'cool' part just comes across as a participation award. Not really all that scintillating."

"Really? Not contesting that I'm your only friend, though? Ah-ha!" Kotetsu snapped his finger, and pretended to push up non-existent glasses. "I've cracked the case!"

Barnaby sighed. "Congratulations. Now, shouldn't you be headed up to your room? The elderly like to sleep early, don't they?"

"Not very witty, Bunny. I'll expect more, in the future." Kotetsu said it as if there was no way that there _wouldn't_ be a future. "Night, Bunny!" He slid out of the car, then, and headed up a flight of stairs. Barnaby had just reached the exit of the apartment, when he realized Kotetsu was running after him, jacket almost falling off. He looked ridiculous, scarf trailing out behind him, and his knees almost up to his chin.

Barnaby rolled down his window, and Kotetsu slammed his hands down on it. He didn't seem too out of breath, and shoved his face into the window, way too close for Barnaby's comfort.

"Hey… when did you wanna reschedule your appointment?"

"Oh… next weekend's okay… Also - you see me daily," Barnaby came back to himself, and furrowed his brow at Kotetsu's ridiculousness. "You have my phone number!"

"Yeah, well…" Kotetsu laughed, and scratched at his cheek. "I kinda didn't think about it. My specialty, right?" He still had his torso almost in Barnaby's car, and Barnaby gave the window a warning press. Kotetsu jumped, smacked his head on the window, and glowered at Barnaby as he nursed his wounded head.

"Chin up, gramps," Barnaby called, "wasn't much there to lose." He gave a sarcastic wave, and Kotetsu flipped him off. As he drove away, Barnaby had the sinking suspicion that he was slowly losing a hold on his pristine life.

"Oh, you didn't take pictures!" Nathan was lecturing Kotetsu. "We would have wanted to see her!"

"She performed beautifully," Barnaby had chimed in. Both Nathan and Antonio froze, and turned incredulous looks on Barnaby.

" _So_ ," Nathan's voice dropped into a more agitated growl, "you buy Handsome nice salads, _and_ you invite him to your daughter's performance? Some friend you are, Kotetsu!"

"It's not like that!" Kotetsu waved his hands in front of his face. "Bunny came over to the shop since I was supposed to tattoo him! He drove me there. You guys are making a big deal out of nothing." He leaned back in his seat, then, and Barnaby watched his long legs stretch out in front of him.

Antonio was watching Kotetsu carefully.

"Well, you say she was good, Handsome? I don't suppose _you_ took any pictures?" Nathan grabbed his styrofoam cup, and squeaked the straw through the lid.

"No, my apologies. I assure you, she was amazing, though." Barnaby smiled, and Kotetsu threw his empty coke can at his head. Barnaby dodged, and turned an icy stare at Kotetsu. " _What_?"

"Fake smile," Kotetsu sing-songed at him. "C'mon - gimme a real one." Suddenly Kotetsu was close once more, and he wiggled his fingers at Barnaby. Comprehension dawned on Barnaby too late.

"Old man, don't you da - ," he broke off, as Kotetsu's fingers met his ribs. Barnaby spluttered into undignified laughter. He bent double, attempting to escape Kotetsu, but he could feel his eyes tearing up.

"Ahh, there we go!" Kotetsu released him, and slapped him on the back. "Bout time!" His eyes had the same light they did whenever he was itching to give compliments, but he managed to keep it in check. Instead, he whispered to Nathan, whose plump lips curved upwards.

"No, no, honey. Cute is _not_ the word."

"Oh, yeah, what is?"

"With Handsome all flushed and breathy like that? The word is se - ,"

"Leave the kid alone," Antonio interrupted. Barnaby was pleased and surprised by his intervention. He straightened up his shirt, and shot Kotetsu a rather cool stare. "Kotetsu… let's talk. I need to see you before you head back to work." Without waiting for an answer, Antonio rose rather abruptly from his seat, and headed out towards the hallway.

Barnaby watched him go, and saw with some satisfaction that Kotetsu looked rather put-out.

"It's your just desserts, old man," Barnaby sneered. Kotetsu merely rose to his feet, and shuffled off after Antonio.

"Mm… I do wonder what that's about." Nathan tilted his head, and knocked one of his pink nails against his teeth. "Sounded serious."

"It's none of my business," Barnaby said, still agitated. He'd slowly become _less_ worried about how he was perceived by his boss, yet it was still there. He tucked his hair behind his ear, and prodded angrily at his salad.

"Oh no!" Nathan clapped his hands to his cheeks. "What if Antonio has a thing for you - and he wants Tiger-honey to leave you alone?"

Barnaby coughed around his food. " _Tiger-honey_?" He blinked. "And I'm quite certain that's not it."

"But you see what you were worried about first," Nathan grinned, though what he was referring to Barnaby wasn't certain. "And yes, Kotetsu's nickname used to be Tiger. Back when he and Antonio went to school together, they fought all the time." At Barnaby's look, Nathan continued. "Oh, not with words - fists, darling. They were best friends. It's incredibly _macho_."

"Why Tiger?"

"Something to do with his name," Nathan replied, with an airy wave. "The characters of his name written in Japanese. His wife came up with it, back when they were kids. They played superheroes all the time, and it stuck. You see," Nathan whispered, as if Kotetsu could hear him all the way out in the hall, "Kotetsu used to get into all sorts of fights. Granted, he always considered himself the 'good guy', but ahh. His nickname was Wild Tiger - Antonio's was Rock Bison. Tomoe always said it was because he was 'as dense as a rock, and stubborn as a bull'."

"You grew up with them, too?"

"Oh, heavens no, darling. I found this all out from Antonio." Nathan smiled, and swirled his finger around the cup. "I didn't meet either of them until we were grown."

Barnaby nodded, and once more had the feeling of not belonging somewhere. He wondered if Nathan had felt that way at first.

"You're actually pretty similar to her," Nathan said, "Tomoe, I mean. She could be just as frosty and grumpy as you are. She always told Kotetsu off for the way he acted." He smiled, and took a sip from his drink. "Maybe that's why Kotetsu took a liking to you."

As Barnaby finished his meal and headed back to his paperwork, he felt as if his insides had been hollowed out. Nathan had probably meant all of that to be reassuring, but instead Barnaby felt worse. He couldn't pinpoint why - outside of the fact that being likened to Kotetsu's dead wife didn't make him feel particularly good.

Then he berated himself for even caring how Kotetsu viewed him. He shoved it down, and continued with his work week. He tried to interact with Kotetsu like normal, but it seemed whatever Kotetsu and Antonio had spoken about, the two were in ill moods. Neither of them lent much in the way of conversation, and with Barnaby left alone to steer their direction, he often chose to bring it to work, or the latest critical analysis he'd read. Nathan alone could keep up, but he seemed distracted as well, presumably about his two friends acting the way they were.

"Kotetsu, may I speak to you before I head back?"

Kotetsu looked frozen, and rubbed at the back of his head. His eyes roamed the room as if looking for an escape. He and Antonio locked gazes.

"Ah, sorry Bunny, but I really have to head back to the shop."

Barnaby frowned, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Since when do you hurry back?"

"I've got an appointment," Kotetsu replied - far too quickly. He left, then, and Barnaby had the distinct impression he was being ignored. He turned narrowed eyes to Antonio, who quickly exited the room. Nathan left as well, and Barnaby threw away his salad by himself.

He hadn't realized how much he'd gotten used to Kotetsu's needless chattering. The older man usually stayed behind to help Barnaby clean up. Kotetsu had a way of speaking, where he said nothing at all, and yet managed to make an entire conversation out of it. Albeit a little one-sided sometimes, Barnaby realized now that he missed that.

The weekend came fast, and Barnaby rode up on The Wild Tiger, the name having an entirely different meaning now as he stared at the tacky neon.

He clambered out of his car, once more in casual clothes as he made his way inside. Benjamin pointed him to the back, and through the beaded curtain he went.

" _Bonjour_ ," Agnes called from her room. He gave a polite wave as he went past, and entered Kotetsu's room.

"Oh, hi, Bunny," Kotetsu called. He hadn't turned around just yet, and was bent at the waist over his counter. He appeared to be scribbling something out. Barnaby pressed his lips together, disappointed in himself for the fact that he had most certainly just looked at Kotetsu's backside. He swung his jacket off and draped it over the back of the chair. He refused to sit just yet.

When Kotetsu finally did turn around, Barnaby made sure he had his arms crossed, his hip jutted, and his face carefully poised to showcase how aggravated he was. It wasn't until Kotetsu glanced down that Barnaby realized he'd been tapping his foot.

"What's up, Bunny?"

"Mind telling me what I did?" Barnaby tilted his head, and lowered his lids a fraction of the way. He peered at Kotetsu through his lashes.

"Huh?"

"You've been ignoring me," Barnaby said abruptly. "And you've been oddly quiet at lunch. If something's the matter, I expect you to speak up."

Kotetsu hesitated, but waved it off. "You're freaking out over nothing, Bunny, trust me."

"That so?"

"Yes." Kotetsu had a defiant set to his chin.

"Fine, then." Barnaby made to grab his jacket, and he heard Kotetsu splutter behind him.

"You're leaving? What about the tattoo?"

"I can have it done somewhere else." Barnaby could have left a trail of frost with every step he took. He swung his jacket back over his shoulder, and turned the full force of his glare on Kotetsu. "You want to introduce me as a friend, and talk as if we're the best of buddies, and yet you act like this." He felt his rage pour into the words, icy-hot as he grew more and more stiff with each syllable.

"Bunny, please - ,"

"No!" Barnaby interjected. "You want me to meet your daughter, you want me to eat lunch with you, you want me to accept all of your stupid compliments, jokes, and singing. So what the hell, old man?" He couldn't explain why he felt so angry. Typically he was very good at keep his emotions in check, but they kept spilling and frothing over. Every tragic face Kotetsu pulled only made his anger mount higher.

" _Barnaby_."

He froze. The usage of his name had caught him off guard. Kotetsu was moving forward, then, and he went to take Barnaby's coat off of his shoulders. He placed it back on the chair, all while Barnaby watched.

"I'll explain just… please. Sit down. I'll apply the stencil to your tattoo while I talk, okay?"

Kotetsu's voice lacked its usual humor. It was the only reason Barnaby could think of as to why he obeyed. He sat down on the chair, but Kotetsu instructed him to face the other direction. Still miffed, Barnaby swung his legs around, and straddled the chair backwards, his arms coming up to pillow his chin. Kaede's stare was accusatory from one of her many pictures.

"I haven't been ignoring you," he heard Kotetsu talking from behind him. He'd obviously gotten back in his rolling chair, as Barnaby could hear the wheels clattering around. "I've been ignoring everyone it's…" He sighed, and once he'd grabbed a few things, he rolled up behind Barnaby. "It's a tough time of the year for me.

"This is going to be cold, by the way. So don't freak out on me."

Barnaby felt Kotetsu's fingers hook around his shirt, and he pushed it up around Barnaby's shoulder blades.

"Do I need to take it off?"

"Only if you want to," Kotetsu replied. Barnaby decided to leave it around his shoulders for now, and if it became a problem later he'd fix it. Then, Barnaby felt the cold. Kotetsu was running some sort of gel across his skin, and he shivered as the air hit it. "I'm going to shave you now, okay?"

Barnaby nodded. He was still waiting for Kotetsu to continue. As the rasp of the razor went against his skin, Kotetsu spoke.

"It's getting close to December… Tomoe died, the eighth."

Barnaby clenched his eyes in realization. "Is that why Antonio called you out?"

"Yes," Kotetsu said, his voice soft. Out of his peripheral, Barnaby watched Kotetsu set the razor down on the table, and his wedding ring made a noticeable lump in the glove. "He was checking up on me, to see how I was doing…" Kotetsu had stopped doing anything at all. Barnaby slowly turned, pulling his shirt back down as he pivoted. He could see Kotetsu slumped in his chair, hands laying limp on his thighs.

Barnaby hesitated, before he reached out, and placed his hand on Kotetsu's. Even as he did, he felt confused, but the moment Kotetsu's fingers contracted and laced into his own, Barnaby knew he had made the right decision.

"Sorry, Bunny… this isn't your problem." Kotetsu gave a rather weak attempt at a smile. "You're a paying customer, right? Let's get this thing going." He tried to move forward, but Barnaby halted him with a dangerous look.

"All the times you've gotten on to me about fake smiles," Barnaby bit out, "and you think you're going to pull that off?"

Kotetsu gave a nervous laugh, and ran his hands through his hair. "Perceptive little thing, aren't you?"

"I'm learning to be." Barnaby said it, and maintained eye contact with Kotetsu. He thought the older man looked a little flustered, as he swiftly averted his gaze to their hands once more. "Is there… something that would make you feel better?"

Kotetsu made a rather deranged noise. "A drink."

"That's simple enough."

"Too bad I'm not allowed to touch the stuff…" Kotetsu scrunched his eyebrows up, and stared at his bracelet. "I promised Kaede I wouldn't go back down that road… each of the white beads is a year sober." Barnaby noticed that there was only two.

"So, no to the drinks, then," Barnaby said slowly, and Kotetsu cracked a real smile. "Oh great. The idiot's back."

Kotetsu let out a shuddered breath, and his eyes squinted shut. Another horrible laugh burbled in his chest. "God… you sound so much like her sometimes. It's a bit scary, Bunny."

Barnaby stiffened. "I wouldn't know."

"Ah… you seem upset. Don't worry - she was a wonderful woman. I'm not insulting you." Kotetsu shifted forward, and their knees bumped. "When she died… I drank myself into a stupor. A lot… I wasn't around for Kaede when she needed me, and eventually, she went to live with ma until… until who knows." He rubbed at the back of his head. "Antonio wanted to make sure I wasn't… relapsing. It almost happened last year, but he fought to keep me in line."

Barnaby thought of all the salads, of the water bottle, of the flower that he kept in the freezer so nothing bad happened to it. He thought of all the lunch visits, the genuine compliments. He thought of the exuberant invitation to Kaede's performance, and how happy she'd been to see that her father had shown up, and that little handshake they did to click their bracelets together…

"I could help as well."

Kotetsu blinked, eyes wide. "Bunny, it's fine - I can't ask that of you."

"We're… friends, right?" he tightened his grip on Kotetsu's hand. "I'm not the best at this, but I'm certain that you're supposed to be there for them, right?" He'd never been there for any of his friends before. Looking back now, Barnaby felt something like a twinge of guilt, but then remembered that none of them had done anything for him, either. He set his shoulders.

"Bunny…" Kotetsu smiled, and pressed forward. Barnaby was startled when he suddenly had Kotetsu between his legs. Kotetsu had wriggled forwards, making Barnaby's knees go wide as Kotetsu wrapped his arms tight around him. "Thank-you," he whispered against Barnaby's ear.

This hug lasted longer than their first, and instead of having his arms trapped, Barnaby was able to move them. He fought himself to lift them, just enough to wrap around Kotetsu's waist. His hands settled against the man's lower back, and he felt Kotetsu heave a happy sigh.

"I already feel better," Kotetsu murmured. "Antonio would kill me if I hugged him."

"If you didn't get lost in the chest hair first," Barnaby chuckled, and he was surprised that he liked the way Kotetsu had wormed closer. Their chests touched, and Kotetsu's hands tightened in the fabric of Barnaby's shirt.

"My, my," Agnes purred from the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt you boys."

They shot apart, and Barnaby's hands immediately went behind his back. Kotetsu tried to get back into his rolling chair, but missed, and landed squarely on his ass, one leg up in the air. Cursing and rubbing at his back, Kotetsu latched one hand onto the office chair, and glared up at Agnes.

"What? What d'you need? I've got a client!"

"Oh?" Agnes arched her brow. "I've never seen you do that with a client."

Barnaby felt his cheeks burn pink. "Unfortunately, Mr. Kotetsu was having some personal problems that I was assisting with."

" _Mister_!" Kotetsu squawked.

"Keep your assistance," Agnes gave it air quotes, "elsewhere. Tiger, I just wanted your second opinion on something. You're better with cover ups then me."

"Uh," Kotetsu attempted to regain himself, and scrambled back up to his feet. "I'll be back, Bunny. We'll get the stencil on there when I return."

Barnaby was left staring at his lap. It had looked incriminating, he supposed. He had the sneaking suspicion that Agnes wouldn't like any explanation they gave. He fiddled with his fingernails, and straightened out his shirt. It had rode up during their embrace.

Kotetsu finally returned, looking a bit sheepish as he shuffled into the room.

"Let's uh - let's get this stencil on ya, Bunny!"

Barnaby was instructed once more to turn around, and he did. "I'm sorry if I made things awkward for you," he murmured.

"Ah, I don't care about any of that, Bunny." Kotetsu had picked up a piece of paper, and pressed it solidly against Barnaby's back. He fiddled around a bit more, and Barnaby kept completely still. "Let's have you look in the mirror right quick, all right? Make sure you like the placement."

Kotetsu wheeled back out of the way, and pointed to a large mirror over on the wall. Barnaby stood, and made his way over to it. He craned his neck and twisted his torso, trying to hold the back of his shirt up as he looked. He first saw the hideous pink rabbit, but forced himself to look past it. The design was simplified, but he could still see the beautiful lines of what was to come.

"It's just a sketch for me to follow," Kotetsu spoke up, and Barnaby looked to him. He was reclined in his rolling chair, his one leg balanced up on his knee. He had his hands behind his head as he nodded in Barnaby's direction. "The one thing that'll be different is, at some point, I'll have to get you to lower your pants a bit. Nothing indecent, don't worry, but that bunny design dips a little lower than your pants."

Barnaby nodded, and made his way back over to his seat. "The placement is good," he said, and got comfortable once more.

"All right, Bunny! Your first - sober - tattoo… though, I would like to know the shop you went to." Kotetsu tutted, and picked up his gun. "You're not supposed to tattoo someone drunk. It thins out out your blood." Kotetsu splayed one gloved hand against Barnaby's back. "If the pain gets too bad, let me know. We'll probably only be getting through linework today, all right?"

Barnaby gave a short nod.

Barnaby heard the gun start up behind him, and after a few seconds, he felt the needle touch his skin. Kotetsu had a light hand, and had started over the muscle in Barnaby's back. It didn't feel _good_ , but it wasn't unbearable. He gritted his teeth, and listened to the droning sound the gun made as it moved over his skin.

"Some people find conversation helps," Kotetsu offered.

"With you?"

"You wound me, Bunny - but I gotta say, pretty brave of you to mock the man with a needle on you."

Barnaby turned slightly, to glare at Kotetsu over his shoulder. "Fine… how did you meet Seymour? I've heard how everyone else knows you."

"Ahh… we met through Antonio," Kotetsu replied. "He and Nathan became friends, and we met thattaway. Poor Nathan, though," he sighed, "he's been in this for the long haul with Antonio."

"Their relationship?"

"Their friendship," Kotetsu corrected, "with benefits. A few things keep holding Antonio back."

"Like what?"

"Heterosexuality."

Barnaby lapsed back into silence. Kotetsu obviously didn't mind gay people, if he were friends with Nathan - and an experimental Antonio. But, for some reason, Barnaby found himself questioning whether or not Kotetsu would be upset if he found out that Barnaby were of the same persuasion.

"Well - speaking of that. I know you're terrible at friends, but I know a cute, young guy like you has to have someone." Barnaby could hear the grin in Kotetsu's voice.

"I don't."

"Eh? Bunny - you gotta get going on stuff like this while you're young! Once you're old like me, no one looks your way!" Kotetsu still sounded as if he were forcing some of his playfulness. Barnaby decided not to call him out on it this time.

"Other than your fashion sense, there's nothing particularly objectionable about you," Barnaby said instead, and gritted his teeth as he realized how stupid that sounded.

"Way to make me feel young again, Bunny~," Kotetsu laughed. "But I'm being serious. You should find you someone. Nathan's always hosting parties - and trust me, I go to them, they're _boring_ \- but you could probably find someone there!"

"I'm not interested." For some reason, Barnaby found that the conversation was pissing him off. "I'm not dating because I can't find someone - it's because I don't care about those types of things."

"You say that now," Kotetsu warned, "but someday you'll regret it."

Barnaby huffed. "I've never had the time for dating. I'm focused on my career."

"Well, now you've got it - so why not cut loose? Get a tattoo, hang out with an older man," Kotetsu snickered.

"Please. You can't be _that_ old."

"Compared to you I am!" Kotetsu drummed the fingers of his free hand against Barnaby's back. "A whopping thirty-five."

"... Really?"

"Ah! You sound surprised!" The gun went a bit lower on Barnaby's back, and for the first time he felt the sting of the gun. "I'm flattered, Bunny. But yes."

After that, Kotetsu switched conversation to several topics, none of which mattered. It was clear he was talking to keep Barnaby occupied from the pain. The closer Kotetsu got to his spine, the more Barnaby increased his grip on the chair.

"Kaede's doing so good in school," Kotetsu babbled, "I'm so glad! She could've been an idiot like me! Hey, Bunny, I bet you were a real wiz-kid!"

"I suppose," Barnaby bit out. He had to resist the urge to curl away from the press of the needle. "Maverick was very insistent that I keep my grades high."

"Maverick?"

"The man who raised me, after both my parents and housekeeper died." Barnaby pressed his lips in a thin line. The gun had officially reached his spine, and he could feel every muscle in his body tensing up. "He enrolled me in a private school, paid for my tutoring, and used his connection to get me into my university."

"Sounds boring," Kotetsu commented. "Hey, Bunny, relax a bit." His thumb ran a smoothing circle over Barnaby's knotted up muscles.

"Hard to do with a needle on my spine," Barnaby grunted.

"Yeah, trust me, I know. When I got my back piece done, it was insanely painful. Mine included the shoulder blades and everything!" Kotetsu whined, and Barnaby tried to sort out how he felt about the thought of Kotetsu's back. He usually hated tattoos on people - and yet… Kotetsu's artwork was stunning, and something told Barnaby that Kotetsu had drawn all of his own tattoos.

"Anyways," Kotetsu spoke up again, "between all that schooling, did you ever get a break?"

"Not really. Sundays I was allowed recreational reading," Barnaby said. "Maverick said every second not utilized was one that I owed him." He bit his lip as the gun delved into the small divot in his back. " _Fuck_."

Kotetsu halted, and let out a low whistle. "You need a break?"

"I'm fine," Barnaby gritted out. "Please continue."

"All right," Kotetsu said. He sounded unconvinced. The gun came back on, and Barnaby felt the pain kick back in. "And damn, that Maverick guy sounds like a prick."

"I owe him my entire life," Barnaby snapped.

"A life of reading, studying, and nothing else?"

"He saved me from being shoved in an orphanage," Barnaby said. "I don't want to hear you speaking about him this way."

"Easy, Bunny… I'm sorry. Guess I was raised the old fashioned way, where you raise kids with love."

"I wasn't his kid, he owed me nothing."

"He agreed to take you - he owed you everything."

Barnaby blinked, and realized he had tears in his eyes. He felt something red hot dissipating in his chest.

"Bunny… you okay?" Kotetsu stopped once more. Barnaby heard the gun being set down, and realized that he had two seconds to fix his features before Kotetsu wheeled around and saw him crying.

"I'm fine," Barnaby muttered. "The tattoo was getting to me."

Kotetsu had rounded the chair, and Barnaby felt latex against his cheeks. Kotetsu had crouched down, his hands cupping Barnaby's face. Barnaby opened his eyes, and realized for the first time that Kotetsu had deep brown eyes. They were the color of the earth, and they moved imperceptibly, scanning Barnaby.

"Don't lie, Bunny," Kotetsu said, and Barnaby pressed his lips into a thin line.

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

" _Bunny_."

"It's - ," Barnaby broke off. He didn't know how to talk about himself. He didn't know how to broach these things. It was the first time in his life that he'd heard someone say that Maverick wasn't perfect. In classes, whenever he'd mention his private lessons, his teachers would always encourage it. His classmates would say how jealous they were, that he had these resources available to him. And if Maverick didn't love him? - So what. That was a job for parents, and they were dead.

"Hey…" Kotetsu removed one of his gloves, and scraped a calloused thumb against Barnaby's tears. "Don't cry…"

"Saying don't cry, doesn't make people magically stop," Barnaby snarled.

"Ah, there you are." Kotetsu grinned. "Man, we're both really baring our souls today, aren't we?"

"We're not. You did. I'm crying from the pain of you drilling a needle into my spine."

"Bunny… be serious. How about this… I'll go back to work on your tattoo and you just - talk. About it, about anything. I'll even keep quiet." Kotetsu mimed zipping his lips, and throwing it away. "Well… I'll try." His grin turned sheepish, as he made his way back to his chair.

With his back to Kotetsu, and the freedom to cry, Barnaby actually did talk. It was the first time he'd ever talked, in depth, about his past. He talked at random about all the times Maverick told Barnaby how lucky he was. About how Maverick did everything for him. About how if he wanted love, he'd need to go six feet under along with his parents. He talked at random about all the times Maverick had made him feel as if even a hundred wasn't good enough. There was always extra credit available, always a way to come out above even the best.

He talked about how the one time he remembered being happy was when Samantha was with him. His housekeeper, and the guardian in control of him between his parents and Maverick, had been nice. He'd been told by Maverick that her coddling had put Barnaby behind, but it was the one time in his past where he could remember being happy.

He couldn't remember his parents, but he could remember Samantha smoothing down his hair during a fever. The time he'd spilled paint all over her favorite piano, and instead of punishing him, they'd painted the entire thing together. There was the time Barnaby thought he was a paleontologist, and dug massive holes in the backyard.

"I found someone's dead cat," Barnaby said conversationally.

"Holy shit."

"The problem was, it was Samantha's."

Kotetsu laughed, and it sounded so damn _good_ in that moment. Barnaby laughed as well, and he felt Kotetsu's hand trying to brace him. In that room, it felt as if Barnaby could say anything and everything.

"I think she's the last person I loved," Barnaby muttered, riding the high from his laughs.

"I know how that feels," Kotetsu said.

"After I went to Maverick… friends didn't hold the same appeal. Dating didn't factor in, Maverick planned to have me set up a profitable relationship. Not arranged, of course, but definitely something that would have benefited us." Barnaby drummed his fingers against the armrest. "And now here I am, imagining him rolling in his grave at the fact that I have a tramp-stamp." Another string of laughs came on, these a bit more unhinged than his previous ones, and yet still just as therapeutic.

"If it's any consolation," Kotetsu said, "the tattoo isn't a particularly bad one. I'm sure someone, somewhere, has to dig it."

Barnaby rolled his eyes. "Please. Don't try to give it dignity it doesn't deserve. I'm still not sure what was going through my brain when it happened." He sighed. "I would have gone my whole life without a tattoo."

"Eh, they say everything happens for a reason," Kotetsu said. "I'm sure you'll find out why this came about one day."

Barnaby sat in the chair for six hours that day, with Kotetsu only stopping once, to go and get them food. At the end, Kotetsu had stood, stretched, and informed Barnaby that they'd be waiting to finish the tattoo in its entirety.

"You're looking at about… maybe three more visits?" Kotestu mused. "The line work is done, next I'll add color, and then we'll want to go over it, make sure all of the lines are still there, and that nothing fades immediately." Barnaby's entire back felt as if it were sunburned, and he resisted the urge to rub and scratch at it. Kotetsu grabbed a clear wrap, and started applying it to Barnaby's back. "Now, this is a bigger tattoo, so we're going to do this a little differently than you probably did your little bunny one. Make sure you keep it wrapped for a few hours before washing it. Then you're going to air dry it a bit before rewrapping it. Once it starts peeling, stop wrapping it up. If you have any questions, you can always call me."

Barnaby nodded, and went to look in the mirror. He could see the stark lines, spiraling up to his mid back. The phoenix was almost there - and then he could kiss the stupid rabbit goodbye. He was staring at the tattoo, and didn't realize that Kotetsu had started talking again.

"Buuuunnnyyyy," Kotetsu's voice finally cut through.

Barnaby flushed, and dropped his shirt. He hadn't been paying any attention, too lost in the dark lines now etched into his back. "Sorry, what?"

"Jeeez. I was saying, don't be prideful or anything. You're more than a customer - you're a friend. Speaking of, do you have anyone that can help you? It's going to be hard to reach some of the spots on your back, and to wrap yourself."

Barnaby hesitated. "I don't." He shrugged. "I managed with the first tattoo."

"You managed the first one," Kotetsu pointed, "because it was small, and easy to reach."

Barnaby shrugged again.

"I'm offering to help, you idiot," Kotetsu huffed.

"Oh."

Barnaby gave him his address, before Kotetsu walked him to the counter. He paid Benjamin, wrote in the tip, and then Kotetsu walked him out to his car.

"I'll stop by later on tonight," Kotetsu waved. "Oi - how about you take care of food for once?"

"You're not going to eat anything I have, old man." Barnaby clambered into his car, and made sure to sit on the edge of his seat. His back curved, as he attempted to keep it away from the leather. Once home, Barnaby did a quick scan of the flat, and was satisfied that there was no mess. He went into his cabinets, and pulled out all of the wine bottles - the image of Kotetsu's bracelet in his mind. He quickly stashed them back in his bedroom, in a box he still had in his closet.

He found himself straightening and repositioning his only chair. Then he chastised himself for being ridiculous. He put on one of his favorite records, and waited until he heard a knock on the door. He opened it, to see Kotetsu in one of the most atrocious sweaters to ever exist.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Barnaby spoke without really thinking.

"Eh?" Kotetsu looked down at himself. The shirt was puke green, with a large tiger embellished on it. "Kaede picked it out for me." He plucked at the knit fabric, and pouted.

"It's physically painful to look at."

"Hey! My darling, perfect, beautiful daughter picked this, and - ,"

"How old was she? When she picked it out?"

"... Three. Why?"

"What does she say when you wear it now?"

"That it's super lame…" Kotetsu grumbled. "But I can't get rid of it! Plus, it suits me, doesn't it?" He struck a predatory pose.

Barnaby remained implacable. "In the worst way possible, yes, it suits you."

"Rude, Bunny! And you haven't invited me in!"

Barnaby moved aside, and let Kotetsu in. He didn't even have a chance to turn around before Kotetsu had made a beeline for his kitchen.

"You could ask before you go through people's stuff!" Barnaby huffed, as he heard his fridge door open. He made his way into the kitchen, and saw that Kotetsu had opened the rather empty freezer. He had reached inside, and had picked out the flower.

Barnaby felt his face flush.

"Is this…?"

"It's - I forgot I put it in there." Barnaby's mind was racing to find an excuse for him to still have it.

Kotetsu had a huge grin on his face, though, and Barnaby felt his metaphorical ship sink.

"Bunnyyyyyy - are you secretly sentimental?" Kotetsu had placed the flower back in its place, and had swung the door shut.

"I'm not." Barnaby pushed past Kotetsu. "Anyways, what kind of person just barges in and looks through someone's fridge?"

"Aw, don't be embarrassed, Bunny! I think it's cute!"

"I'm not cute!" Barnaby stomped his foot.

"See… you say that, but then you do _that_ ," Kotetsu was stifling his laughter, "I'm getting mixed signals."

"You're insufferable," Barnaby snapped. "You said you were here to help with my tattoo?"

"Sorry, sorry," Kotetsu sighed. "Come on, Bunny. Lead me to the bathroom."

Kotetsu followed Barnaby through his flat. He saw the older man looking around, eyebrows raised as he made his way through.

"Not one for furniture, are you, Bunny?"

"I'm one person. What would I need more furniture for?"

"Company?"

"I don't keep company."

"And yet here I am!" Kotetsu jazz-handed his way into the bathroom behind Barnaby. It was rather small, but it wasn't terribly cramped. "You're probably gonna wanna take your shirt off," Kotetsu instructed. He knocked knees with Barnaby as he pushed his way to the shower. "Got a washcloth?"

Barnaby went and got one, and returned back to the bathroom. He hesitated, as his fingers hooked around his shirt. Kotetsu had his back to him, and was fiddling with the tap. He chastised himself for his reluctance, and pulled his shirt up and over his head. When Kotetsu finally did turn around, he didn't say anything, and merely instructed him to sit on the edge of the tub.

Barnaby couldn't explain why it bothered him.

"All right, Bunny. This is gonna feel weird," Kotetsu warned. He started peeling the plastic off of Barnaby's tattoo, and Barnaby let out a low hiss at the feeling of the wrap leaving his skin. Kotetsu pulled a bottle out of his pocket. "I brought some basic soap. Glad I did, too. I can't even pronounce the name of what's on your bottles! Probably why you smell good, though."

Barnaby flushed, and was thankful that Kotetsu couldn't see his face. He felt a rag press softly against his skin, as Kotetsu dabbed around the area.

"After this, we're going to let it air for fifteen minutes," Kotetsu said. Just like when he'd done the tattoo, one hand braced itself against Barnaby's back, and slid to his side. Without the gloves, however, Barnaby felt goosebumps break out across his ribs, and he realized he liked the way the callouses felt as they roamed across him. The warm water against his tattoo made it itch a little less.

"Thank you… Kotetsu," Barnaby murmured, once Kotetsu was done.

He heard several bottles crash into the tub.

"You called me by my name!" Kotetsu grabbed Barnaby by the shoulders, and swung him around. "Oi! I almost thought you didn't know it! I mean, you called me _Mister_ Kotetsu, but I figured you were just being a little shit!"

"A little shit…?"

"Well… yeah," Kotetsu laughed. "Hey - I know you said you don't watch TV yourself, but I don't really want to sit here bored… mind if I turn something on?"

Barnaby sighed. "Help yourself." He picked up his shirt, and carried it with him. Kotetsu had already launched himself into the only chair available, and had snatched up the remote.

"That's a damn big TV for someone who doesn't watch cable," Kotetsu called.

"The things I do watch, I like to be hi-def. Water?"

"Yeeeep!"

Barnaby went to grab them drinks, before heading back into the living room. He handed Kotetsu his bottle, and saw that the man had turned on a gaming network. "Really?"

"It's a trivia show!" Kotetsu beamed up at him. "I thought you'd like it!"

The worst part was, that Barnaby actually did. He stood beside Kotetsu, holding his shirt as he answered most questions easily. He grew frustrated at the media related questions, where Kotetsu always overtook him with a rather cocky grin. At the halfway point in the show, Kotetsu instructed Barnaby to kneel in front of him.

Against his better wishes, Barnaby thought of a time in college where he'd heard those exact words from someone else. The experience had been abysmal, and had been his last and only foray into intimate relationships.

He pressed his knees into the carpet, as Kotetsu pulled a tiny tub of lotion from his pocket.

"How many things do you have in there, old man?" Barnaby asked.

"Hey, you should be happy! I'm the prepared one, for once." Kotetsu smoothed lotion over Barnaby's back. "Let me know if I press too hard, all right, Bunny?"

"It's perfect."

Barnaby's shoulders tensed, and he cursed himself. He was making an ass of himself tonight. Kotetsu merely chuckled, and lathered up his fingers once more.

"Relax, Bunny."

Barnaby tried. He focused once more on the show, calling out the answers.

"You're so smart, it kinda pisses me off," Kotetsu bemoaned. He'd finished with the lotion, capped it, and returned it to his pocket.

"I suppose it's the difference in effort," Barnaby smirked.

"Stuff it," Kotetsu huffed. He patted Barnaby's shoulder. "Lemme up. I'm gonna go grab seran wrap."

"Third drawer from the stove."

"Gotcha."

Kotetsu disappeared for a few moments, before he reappeared in Barnaby's line of sight.

"Hey, hey! Hey Bunny!"

"What?" He glanced to Kotetsu.

"Let's _wrap_ ," Kotetsu stretched the seran wrap out in front of his face, a ludicrous grin on his face, "this up!" He cackled at his own joke, while all Barnaby could do was think, _Fuck_.

Because he was pretty certain he had a crush.

Barnaby prided himself in being exceedingly logical (even if Kotetsu said it was to the point of self-detriment… though, certainly not with those words). He mentally listed all of the reasons his attraction to Kotetsu was stupid, and all the ways that this infatuation would come to bite him in the butt.

The man was fourteen years his senior. Even if he did _act_ like he wasn't.

He had a child. Barnaby had no interest in rearing children. Though, he had to admit, Kaede was rather tolerable as far as children went.

The man had a dead wife.

Barnaby stopped there, and pursed his lips. Was that really a con? He supposed in this instance it was.

"Hey, kid - you alright?" Antonio loomed up above Barnaby's desk. He seemed concerned. "You actually stopped writing."

Barnaby realized that he'd let his hand go completely lax, and that his grip had eased up on his pen. He shook his head.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Very pointedly, Barnaby lowered his head back down to the desk, and picked up his pen. He scribbled once more, and Antonio didn't seem too keen on pushing the subject. Thankful, Barnaby watched as the large man moved elsewhere.

He had to get a grip on himself. Kotetsu put lotion on his tattoo one time as a favor, and Barnaby had to go and make it weird in his head. He scrunched up his nose, and reminded himself, firmly, that Kotetsu was being friendly. This was Barnaby's once and only shot at a legitimately nice friendship, and he was certainly not interested in ruining it over something so frivolous as feelings.

He returned to his paperwork with renewed fervor, satisfied with having told himself off. At lunch, Kotetsu made his usual appearance, but before they went downstairs, Kotetsu told Barnaby to follow him. He reluctantly did so, as Kotetsu led him to the bathroom.

"Shirt," Kotetsu called easily over his shoulder.

"What?"

"We're changing your wrap." Kotetsu turned, and gave Barnaby a look that said 'this should be completely obvious', complete with a head tilt, and raised elbows. "Of course, I'll be by later on tonight, too. I've gotta take Kaede home, but then I'll be by."

"What happened to it being too cold to ride your motorcycle?" Barnaby asked. He shucked his shirt, and gripped the porcelain sink as Kotetsu commanded him. He tried not to look in the mirror, where he could see Kotetsu behind him, fingers once more coated in the salve.

Kotetsu peeled off the Seran wrap. "I found my old leather jacket," Kotetsu grinned. "And I bought Kaede one. She already outgrew her one from last year," he said mournfully. Barnaby watched the way his jaw sagged, and the flutter of his eyes through the mirror.

Barnaby gritted his teeth.

"Ah!" Kotetsu stood up, and washed his hands off. He'd set a plastic bag down on the floor, and he scooped it up now. He held it open, as he shoved it in Barnaby's direction. "Lunch - that's gotta air-dry, remember? No sense in sitting here, hungry."

"I'm not eating in a bathroom," Barnaby protested.

Kotetsu shrugged. "Fine - but don't expect me to hold the same values." He then hopped up on the sink counter, his long legs swinging. His toes almost touched the ground. Barnaby sighed, and propped his hip on the counter, and plucked his salad from the bag. He held the plastic container in his hand, and clutched it to his chest as he ate.

"I always wanted a motorcycle," Barnaby confided. His voice echoed back to him across the tile.

"Eh? Really? You don't seem the type!" Kotetsu grinned.

"Neither do you. Especially since you can't even walk without tasting the pavement."

"Such a bully," Kotetsu sighed. "But - for some reason - I've actually never had a problem staying balanced on my bike," he knocked against his head. "Might be the fact that I could actually hurt other people. Oi, why not come riding with me, huh?"

Barnaby blinked. "That might not be the best idea," he said. It sounded like a great idea. Kotetsu's face fell.

"Ahh… you don't trust this old man, do you?"

"I do," Barnaby corrected, "I just…" He couldn't think of an actual reason. "Fine."

Kotetsu was back to smiling, just like that, and Barnaby returned to his salad. The silence was interrupted, as Kotetsu's phone blared. The quality was so bad, Barnaby couldn't even tell what it was. Kotetsu quickly unlocked it, and pressed it to his ear.

"Eh? Oh… we're in the bathroom… yes _we_ … no… Antonio - don't - don't tell Nathan, I - ," Kotetsu slipped into a grimace. He turned an apologetic gaze towards Barnaby. They both had two seconds of respite, before Nathan came charging into the bathroom, heels click-clacking with a clearly amused Antonio just behind.

" _So_ ," Nathan huffed, before he ground to a halt. Antonio almost ran into his back. " _Oh_." Nathan's voice changed radically, and he pressed one of his nails to his plump lips.

Barnaby remembered that he was shirtless.

"Kotetsu, you absolute scoundrel! A half-naked Handsome, and you weren't willing to share!"

"Aw, Nathan! It's not like that," Kotetsu waved his hand through the air. "I'm helping Bunny with his tattoo. We're wrap-healing it."

Nathan curled his lip up. "I don't recall you offering to help me with mine."

"I warned you I wouldn't, with the location," Kotetsu protested. "And anyways, you kept going into detail about your _aftercare_." He gave a pointed look to Antonio. Barnaby watched in fascination as Antonio's face turned an interesting puce color, while Nathan continued to look completely unabashed.

"Be that as it may, you could have at least invited us!" Nathan clapped his hands together, and pressed them to his chin. "You look lovely, Handsome, absolutely divine. You work out, I assume?" Barnaby gave a slow nod. "It _shows_ , honey."

Kotetsu had dropped his face into his hands.

"Thank-you," Barnaby gave his best polite smile. Nathan cooed. Kotetsu groaned.

"Come on, Bunny," Kotetsu slid off of the sink. "Let's get you wrapped back up."

Barnaby was ready to slide off of the sink, when he froze. He'd kept his back to Nathan and Antonio the whole time, and he realized that if he hopped down now, they'd be able to see the bunny tattoo. He pressed his lips into a thin line, and gave Kotetsu a rather desperate look.

The older man seemed to notice, as he turned abruptly to his friends.

"Go on, me n' Bunny'll be done in a minute." Kotetsu shooed.

"What?" Nathan pursed his lips. "We're being kicked out? That's so rude!"

"Ahh… if you leave," Kotetsu snapped his fingers, "I'll spend one night with ya!"

"What?" Barnaby balked, while Nathan gave an ecstatic, "Okay!"

Nathan shooed Antonio out, and Kotetsu heaved a sigh of relief.

"There, saved ya, Bunny!" Kotetsu turned to him, and he seemed to sense the chill that was rolling off of Barnaby. "Ah… something the matter?"

"No," Barnaby replied. He slowly turned. "Your sacrifice is much appreciated."

"Bunny…" Kotetsu leaned forward, and placed his hand just on the edge of Barnaby's tattoo. He suppressed a shiver, as he could feel Kotetu place the wrap down, and his fingers brushed softly against Barnaby's skin. He wondered if his back was perhaps a bit more sensitive than he'd ever considered.

Barnaby pressed his lips into a rather forbidding line.

"Are you jealous?"

Kotetsu's voice caught him by surprise, and even moreso what he'd said. "Excuse me?" Barnaby said, voice chilly. Kotetsu leaned forward, and pressed his chin into Barnaby's shoulder, while Barnaby mentally counted down the seconds until he punched Kotetsu in the face.

"You're still my friend," Kotetsu said, his goofy grin back in place. "I'll still come over and help you out, so don't worry. Nathan always wants me to come over, so he can rant about Antonio" He thought about telling Kotetsu that his beard itched where it touched Barnaby's skin. He stood up straight, and Kotetsu stumbled back. "Oi! I didn't realize you were taller than me!" Kotetsu seemed offended, as he pointed, betrayed, at Barnaby's figure.

Barnaby scooped up his shirt, and shrugged his shirt back on. "Six foot one," he said simply.

"Not fair," Kotetsu whined.

"Old man, if you had anymore leg, you'd practically be a spider."

"Can I _at least_ be a cool one?"

"Define, 'cool'."

"Uh… ah… I don't know many spiders," Kotetsu admitted. He grabbed their bag of food, and he and Barnaby exited the bathroom. "Which one would be the coolest for me?"

Barnaby hesitated. "I… don't actually know many spiders, either."

"You're just as stupid as me for once!" Kotetsu whooped. Barnaby rolled his eyes, and tried to put some distance between them as they strolled into the courtyard. Nathan and Antonio talked, and it was one of the few times Barnaby had seen Antonio so animated. They joined the table, and Antonio returned to his more natural, stoic nature. Barnaby related with him more than he ever had before.

Nathan bemoaned the fact that Barnaby had to wear clothes, while Kotetsu attempted to change the subject, multiple times, each one of them failing. Lunch ended, and Kotetsu clapped Barnaby on the shoulder, and promised to see him later. Barnaby watched him leave, before he realized that Nathan was watching him, one pink eyebrow arched.

"What?" Barnaby demanded.

"Oh, nothing…" Nathan's voice implied that there was most certainly something. "Just amazed at how obvious someone as secretive as you could be."

"I don't know what you mean," Barnaby said carefully. He tucked his hands into his pockets, and began the trek back up the stairs. Nathan persisted behind him.

"Honey, I'm the best with feelings. If you ever need some womanly advice, I'm here for you!"

Barnaby stopped on the staircase, one leg up as he pivoted at the waist. "Thanks," he said, and he found he actually kind of meant it. Nathan smiled, and let him return to the office. Barnaby passed the day as he usually did, with one difference. After he got off work, he headed to the grocery store. He grabbed a few things that, normally, he'd never touch. He even - Barnaby glared offensively at the bottles - grabbed soda. He filled up the relatively empty cabinets, and tossed the bags. By the time he was done, he glanced out his window, and saw that Kotetsu was pulling up.

He quickly ducked out of the window, and ran his fingers through his curls. He soon heard Kotetsu's footsteps outside, and Barnaby opened the door. Kotetsu walked in, all big smiles and welcomes. He shucked his leather jacket onto Barnaby's floor, before he headed to the kitchen.

His surprise and delight made it worthwhile, when he realized Barnaby had actual food in his cabinets now.

"I figured if you're going to be taking your own time to come here," Barnaby said, as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "it's the least I could do."

"Such a sweet Bunny!" Kotetsu tweaked Barnaby's nose as he walked past, a cup of noodles in his other hand. Barnaby sighed.

"One day, old man, I'll poison that food."

"I like it - everyday's an adventure!" Kotetsu gave an exaggerated sniff at his bowl. "I don't think I smell the poison." He barely dipped his tongue into the broth. "Ow! Fuck! Well… I didn't taste the poison."

Barnaby laughed, and took over the chair.

"Oi, I've got food, a burnt tongue, and potential poisoning, I think I deserve that seat!" Kotetsu moved closer. Barnaby flipped him off. "Now, young man," Kotetsu almost sounded respectable, as he wagged a finger at Barnaby, "that's no way to behave."

"Stuff it, grandpa. I'm tired from work, I'm sitting until you're done stuffing your face."

"Fine. I'll sit on you."

"You wouldn't."

"I'm very bony," Kotetsu's grin overtook his face, "it's going to be su-u-u-u-per uncomfortable for you."

"If you sit on me, I'll shove you off."

"Ah~!" Kotetsu lunged forward, and his knees knocked against Barnaby's thigh. He plopped down in Barnaby's lap, and Barnaby realized he had been telling the truth. Kotetsu's ass cut into his thigh, and one of his knobby ankles ended up hooked somewhere on the arm rest, against Barnaby's hand. "If you push me," Kotetsu said, "my noodles are going to end up all over your nice carpet."

"I hate you."

"Bunny, if you hated me, I wouldn't be here."

And Barnaby didn't have an argument for that.

He suffered through Kotetsu sitting on him, as the older man insistently turned the TV volume far louder than it needed to be. He finished his food, and he and Barnaby talked, before Kotetsu seemed to remember why he was there.

"To the bathroom!" Kotetsu shouted, as he leapt up from his seat. Barnaby massaged his abused thigh.

"Give me a moment. Your flat ass caused permanent tissue damage."

"Eh? You're one to talk. You're not exactly packing it in the rear, either," Kotetsu didn't seem to understand what was wrong with his words, and trundled off to the bathroom ahead of Barnaby. He soon got up and followed, following Kotetsu's instructions to remove his shirt.

Shirt tossed to the side, Barnaby perched on the edge of the tub once more, and Kotetsu continued his ministrations.

"Such sensitive skin, Bunny!" Kotetsu lamented, as his index finger carved a path down to the dip in Barnaby's back. Barnaby bit at his lip. "Damn. Still a little red. It should start peeling in the next few days, though. Hopefully."

"Thanks for the confidence vote," Barnaby muttered. He tried not to deflate when he felt Kotetsu's hands leave his body.

"Not my fault. You young 'uns are too tender! They just don't make ya like they used to!" Kotetsu washed his hands, and Barnaby stood up.

"I'm plenty tough, old man. And at least I don't have a middle-aged pooch yet." Barnaby pointed to Kotetsu's midsection.

"Oi, I don't have one of those, either!" Kotetsu huffed. "Not yet, anyways. And you'll be less cocky once your metabolism slows down."

"The difference between us, however, is that you eat like a child." Barnaby sniffed. "Do you even know how many calories you put in your body daily?"

Kotetsu made a strangled noise, and wobbled his hand in the air.

"Just say no," Barnaby said flatly.

"Okay - no."

"Isn't the truth easier?"

"Nope!" Barnaby ignored Kotetsu, as he side-stepped the man to get out into the hallway. "In fact," Kotetsu followed him, before he grabbed at his own chest, and stumbled into Barnaby's side, "I think - I think it might be killing me!" Kotetsu let his full weight crash onto Barnaby, who merely arched a brow at the older man's antics.

"Do me a favor - and try not to die on me." Barnaby moved, and allowed Kotetsu to complete his descent onto the carpet. Kotetsu lay there, sprawled out, before he let out a low groan. With a roll of his eyes, Barnaby continued into the living room.

"Oi!" Kotetsu shouted, voice muffled by the carpet. "Best friend! Dying in here!"

"Being my only friend doesn't make you the best," Barnaby called back. "And try to die a little quieter."

"Mean!"

"So you keep saying."

Kotetsu was silent after that, and Barnaby, against his better judgement, entered the hallway. He saw that Kotetsu was still lawled out on the floor. His chin rested on his forearm, as he played with his phone. He noticed Barnaby, and quickly dropped his phone.

"Uh - don't mind me. Still dying."

"And yet still so noisy."

"Ahh," Kotetsu faked a whole body shiver, "such a chilly Bunny."

Barnaby tossed his head. "Are you going to lay in my floor all night?"

"We-e-ell."

"That's gotta be bad for your back."

"What's _not_ bad for me, at this age?"

"Fair point." Barnaby crouched down in front of Kotetsu, and glanced at his phone. Before Kotetsu could snatch it up, Barnaby caught a glimpse of the photos the older man had been perusing. It was a woman rather reminiscent of Kaede. "Old man?"

"What?" Kotetsu sounded mutinous, as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

"If you're going to sleep in my floor, would you at least like a blanket?"

Kotetsu blinked. "Oh… Bunny, I was kidding."

Barnaby flushed. "I figured," he snapped. "I didn't mean here, in the hallway, acting like a moron."

"Oh."

Barnaby stayed silent for a moment. He shifted his gaze to Kotetsu's finger, where the ring glimmered against his dark skin.

"I'm serious."

"Right…" Kotetsu's voice trailed off, before he shook his head. "Naw, Bunny, I can't put you out like that."

"You wouldn't be putting me out," Barnaby muttered. He could feel his embarrassment mounting as he let his eyes wander down to the plush white carpet. "Friends, remember?"

Kotetsu's mouth wobbled, before he gave a quick nod of his head. "Hey… thanks, Bunny… really."

"It's nothing," Barnaby muttered. "What about clothes?"

"Eh, I can just wear this to work tomorro - … Why are you making such an evil face?" Kotetsu quailed underneath Barnaby's glower.

"That's disgusting, and you will do no such thing." Barnaby sighed, and rose to his feet. "I'll see if I have something you can wear, and I'll wash your clothes."

"Bunny…" Kotetsu grimaced. "I really doubt we're the same size."

Barnaby shrugged. "We'll see." He headed off to his room. He was mindful of every corner and edge. With him shirtless, and his back still not wrapped, he felt rather exposed. He dug into his dresser, searching for any shirts that might be a bit larger.

"Oi," Kotetsu's voice startled Barnaby, and his shoulders shot up around his neck. "Is that a whole case full of glasses?" The man waltzed into Barnaby's room, obviously ignoring the rather dower looks he was receiving. Kotetsu headed over to the fifteen extra pairs Barnaby kept at all times.

"I like to be prepared, in case I ever need them, and - what the hell are you doing?" Barnaby crossed his arms across his chest, and stomped his foot in aggravation as he realized Kotetsu had shoved a pair of his glasses up on his nose.

"Lookit - I'm a cute little Bunny!" Kotetsu mimed bunny ears on top of his head, and squinted at Barnaby through the lenses. " _Barnaby Brooks Jr,_ hoppy _to help you_ ," Kotetsu mimicked. Barnaby stormed up, and snatched them quickly off of Kotetsu's face.

"I've told you before, that's _not_ how I talk, old man!" He quickly put the glasses back where they belonged. When he turned, Kotetsu had his hands on either side of Barnaby's face, and he slid his glasses off. " _Hey_!"

"How blind are you?" Kotetsu asked.

"I can't see your face right now," Barnaby snapped, "but I bet my fist could find it."

"Ee - so scary!" Kotetsu grinned, before Barnaby felt the cool sides of his glasses slid back around his ears. Kotetsu's fingers brushed the blonde curls back and away, and Barnaby saw that large smile looming just inches from his face. "Ahh… you definitely look better with 'em on."

Barnaby huffed, and turned sharply away. "I don't care about that. I just use them to see." He quickly returned to his task, trying to calm his breathing back down. "Here." He shoved a pile of clothes at Kotetsu. Then he knelt to his bottom drawer, and drew out a pack of underwear. He handed that to Kotetsu as well.

"Any reason you just happen to keep spare, unopened underwear, Bunny?" Kotetsu looked highly amused.

"Same reason I have so many glasses."

"Huh. And here I was thinking you entertained men all the time," Kotetsu laughed. Barnaby froze.

"What?"

"Eh? Just a joke, Bunny… cuz it's men's underwear…" He shook the pack pointedly. Barnaby pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Right. Of course."

"Oi… if you are, Bunny, it's not a big deal… and, if you're not - still no big deal. Okay?" Kotetsu looked exceedingly awkward, and Barnaby had to resist the urge to flee his own house. Maybe push Kotetsu down a flight of stairs on the way. He figured it had to be therapeutic.

"Kotetsu," he said, his eyes closed, "I'm not discussing this with you. Go get changed, so I can start the cycle."

"Ehe… Roger that!" Kotetsu shot off to the bathroom. Barnaby returned to the living room, and sat on the edge of his seat. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and tried to block out any unwanted thoughts.

"Sometime today, grandpa," Barnaby called. "I'd like this tattoo wrapped back up."

"I'm almost done," Kotetsu called. He emerged a moment later, and Barnaby took the clothes from him. Kotetsu stood there, face rather surly. He and Barnaby were most certainly _not_ the same size - which Barnaby had accounted for. He'd given Kotetsu the only pair of pants he owned with an elastic waistband, ones that he wore to work out in. The problem was, that even though he was taller, Kotetsu certainly had more leg, and his ankles jutted out from the bottom. Barnaby's shirt was definitely too tight, and unfortunately, Barnaby realized that Kotetsu _had_ to work out - for even though he'd started to soften around the middle with age, muscles were still painfully evident.

Barnaby swallowed, and took off with the bundle of clothes.

"You didn't have anything bigger in the shirt department?" Kotetsu whined.

"Next time, bring a spare set of clothes," Barnaby called back. "I don't believe in frumpiness."

Kotetsu remained silent.

Barnaby started the wash, and went to check on Kotetsu. The man was sprawled out in the chair, and when he saw Barnaby, he patted his thigh.

Barnaby merely quirked an eyebrow. "No. Some of us have dignity."

"Eh - I lost that around twenty-six."

"A little later then I was expecting, to be honest." Barnaby grinned. He grabbed the wrap off the table, and knelt down in front of Kotetsu. He fell back into the familiar feeling of thumbs as they pressed down the edges.

After that, Barnaby was free to drag his own shirt back out of the bathroom, and set about creating a pallet for Kotetsu. The older man sprawled out across the blanket, and as Barnaby switched the light off, he heard a muttered, "Thanks."

Barnaby didn't respond, and instead headed into his room. He usually slept like hell, but he found it far easier that night to go to sleep. He couldn't get up and do stuff, meaning that he was left to lay and stare at the ceiling. He only remembered wondering if Kotetsu was sleeping all right, before he felt the waves of his dream lapping over into his consciousness.

When he woke up, he smelled food. He realized he'd woken up rather late, and scrabbled around for his glasses, before he headed into his kitchen. He saw Kotetsu there, back in his sweater and jeans from the night before.

Barnaby tried, but failed, to fully understand what was happening.

"Mornin', Bunny," Kotetsu greeted, a rather large smile on his face. Barnaby gave a numb nod. "I tried to wake you up a lot," he said, licking some pancake batter off of his thumb, "but you were knocked out. I texted Nathan - he said you'd earned a day off from the Mountain of Suffering."

Barnaby's eyes flickered to the countertop, where he could see Kotetsu had already made eggs and bacon, which he'd apparently been nibbling on.

"I went to the store," Kotetsu explained to Barnaby's curious stare. "Go on, sit down. I gotcha."

Barnaby sat, and stared at his hands. Then at the man swaying around his kitchen.

"Wanna see me flip this pancake?" Kotetsu turned excitedly, and wiggled the spatula, as if to hype Barnaby up for what was to come.

"I'd really rather you didn't," Barnaby said, a sense of dread already flooding his stomach.

"So like… that was a yes?"

"It was very clearly a no."

"But - if I rearranged those letters… yes?"

"No."

"But no backwards - is 'on', in other words, a 'yes'."

"Why are you even arguing about it, if you're just going to flip the damn thing anyways?" Barnaby demanded, exasperated.

"It's your house," Kotetsu said, spatula already shoved underneath the pancake, "didn't wanna be rude."

"Oh, of course," Barnaby sneered.

With that, Kotetsu popped the pancake up. The underside was still a bit too gooey, and it shot upwards, and smacked into Barnaby's spotless cabinets with a wet _shlop_ before it slid all the way down onto the marble counter.

Kotetsu gave Barnaby a sheepish grin, as if to say 'huh, who would have thought a thing like that could happen, what a total surprise'. Barnaby gave him a glare that said 'of course this was going to happen you absolute tumor of a man'.

Barnaby sighed, but helped himself to a rather small portion of the eggs as Kotetsu started cleaning up the catastrophe. He seemed a bit down that his trick hadn't worked, and made the rest of the pancakes like usual. He'd occasionally stuff a piece of bacon into his mouth, chew mutinously, and flip a pancake with little to no flourish.

When he was done, Kotetsu loaded down one huge plate, and plopped it down on the table. Barnaby stared, confused, before he realized he and Kotetsu were meant to share the one plate. Kotetsu stabbed his fork into the top pancake, drew it onto his plate, and began chewing furiously.

"Hey, do you mind if I make a call?" Kotetsu asked, halfway through his third pancake. Barnaby shook his head. "Cool beans." Kotetsu shot him two finger guns, and Barnaby groaned. He then unlocked his phone, and opened up the video chat, where Kaede's face soon appeared.

"Morning, dad," Kaede yawned. Her hair stuck up in every direction, and she was wearing unicorn pajamas.

"Hi, honey-bunch," Kotetsu cooed. "How do you look so lovely, even this early? My cute baby! You're not ever gonna need make-up with those natural looks!"

Barnaby and Kaede rolled their eyes in unison.

"Dad, please don't be so gross early in the morning. I'd prefer you were gross, like, never, but I know it's impossible."

"Ahh! So mean!"

"She's right, though," Barnaby muttered. Kaede heard his voice, screeched, and dropped her phone.

"Kaede, honey, you okay?" Kotetsu demanded. He actually sounded rather fierce for a moment, and Barnaby was surprised. He felt a quiver run through him that was entirely inappropriate for the circumstance.

"You didn't tell me Barnaby was there," Kaede hissed. She was still off-screen, and Barnaby could see that the phone had been down-turned to face non incriminating purple sheets.

"What difference does that make?" Kotetsu demanded.

"Ugh… I have bed-head, and pajamas… You're the worst, dad!" Kaede audibly thumped her fist against something, presumably her mattress, if the quiver of the blankets was any indication. "Wait… that's not your fridge… are you at Barnaby's house?!"

"Yeah, I spent the night," Kotetsu replied. "Hey, this is off-topic. Who cares if Bu - Barnaby's here! I called cuz ma said you were home sick!"

Kaede made a high-pitched whine. "Dad, I _don't_ wanna talk about this where people can hear me!"

"Ahh… the squirts, huh?"

Kaede's scream was muffled, but still impressive. On the other side of the phone, Kotetsu heard a door open, and soon Anju's face filled up the screen. She glowered at her son.

"Ahh, what are you doing, Kotetsu?!"

"I was calling to check on my daughter!"

"He talked about my… while Barnaby's with him!" Kaede said in a strained whisper.

Anju's glare became more fierce. "I swear! No tact! Who raised you this way?"

"What? Am I missing something!"

"People don't often like it when you talk about their bathroom issues in front of strangers," Barnaby pointed out. He was started on his second pancake, and was legitimately surprised at how good they were.

Kotetsu made a noise like, _bah_!, before he returned to the phone.

"He's right," Anju snapped, "now you've upset Kaede. Foolish boy."

Kotetsu jutted his jaw out. "Eh - you're all picking on me today."

"Barnaby," Anju said, "I'm so sorry you have to deal with this fool."

"I'm getting used to it," Barnaby lamented.

Kotetsu's jaw dropped. "Traitors! All of you!"

"You lost my allegiance when you splattered pancake all over my kitchen."

"Eh?" Anju cut in. "You're cooking, Kotetsu?"

Kotetsu looked sheepish, and scratched his chin. "Yeah… listen, it's not a big deal. Kaede, honey, I just wanted to call and make sure you're okay."

"I was before _you_ called," she shouted. "Call me back later when you're ready to be normal!" Kaede took the phone back from her grandmother, and ended the call rather abruptly. Kotetsu was left staring at a blank screen. He turned, flabbergasted, to Barnaby.

"Can you believe that?"

"It's what I would have done," Barnaby said, with a small smile playing on his lips. "You _are_ rather insufferable."

Kotetsu grumbled, and returned rather angrily to his pancakes.

Not long after breakfast, Kotetsu admitted that he'd called into the shop to let them know he'd be late, so he had to leave. He changed Barnaby's wrap before leaving, though, and promised to be back later on in the evening. Barnaby had nodded, agreed, and reminded Kotetsu to return with spare clothes.

Barnaby realized that he didn't find any of this odd.

He'd never had someone stay at his house before, and yet it had seemed so easy to do when it finally had happened. He cleaned up the dishes, and gathered up the clothes that Kotetsu had borrowed the night before. He messaged Nathan, apologizing for his absence, but for once, Barnaby didn't feel guilty about not putting in a hundred and ten percent.

'Don't worry, Handsome,' Nathan had texted back, 'Kotetsu told us how sick you were. Rest up and feel better.'

Barnaby arched his brow. So, Kotetsu had told them he was ill. He sighed.

'Really?' he sent to Kotetsu. 'Lying to Nathan?'

His phone chimed soon. 'Ehhhhh, I didn't want to risk him being in a mood, tbh.'

Around his normal lunchtime, Barnaby was surprised to hear his phone going off. He realized that Kotetsu had requested a video chat. Uncertain, Barnaby accepted the call.

"Oiiiiiiiii, Bunnyyyyy!" Kotetsu's entire face filled the screen, before he was shoved out of the way by Nathan.

"Hi, Handsome! Hope you're feeling better!" Nathan blew him a kiss, before Kotetsu shoved him out of the way once more.

"Call him on your own phone," Kotetsu griped, as he pressed his hat further down on top of his head. "Oii - I'm calling to make sure you eat!"

"I ate earlier," Barnaby said, with a shrug.

"Yeah," Kotetsu huffed. "I know. I was there - remember? You sure I'm the old one?"

"With that nose hair, it's possible," Barnaby said easily, as Kotetsu had been getting far too personal with the camera. Kotetsu blinked, before returning his phone to a more respectable distance.

"Shut it… anyways, you need to eat!" Kotetsu wagged the finger of his free hand at Barnaby. "Regain your strength!" He winked, and Barnaby rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to hang up now, okay?"

"Eh - I'm not done! I need you to eat on camera, so I have proof!"

"Tiger-honey, you're doing the most…"

"Let him do it, Nathan - maybe the idiot'll tire himself," Antonio grumbled.

"I'm not a puppy!"

"Oh, no," Barnaby deadpanned, face and voice equally devoid of emotion. "I think I'm having a coughing fit. Cough - cough - a-cough-cough. Guess I'll have to go." He hung up abruptly, just to immediately grin as he received the message.

'Oh, frick u Bunny'.

Barnaby smiled, and passed the rest of the day in a rather languid mood. It had felt nice to sleep in, and Kotetsu occasionally texted him. By the time evening rolled around, Barnaby was already prepared when he heard Kotetsu's bike roar just outside his window. Instead of Kotetsu traipsing up the stairs, however, Barnaby recieved a text.

'Come on down! - Dress warm, too. Wouldn't want your cute little ears freezing off!'

Barnaby huffed, and tucked his phone into his pants pocket. He slung a white, double-breasted coat over his normal attire, and fiddled with his curls as he went down the stairs. Then he chastised himself for being ridiculous.

Out front, he saw Kotetsu sitting astride his motorcycle, large grin in place. He was wearing a rather outdated trench coat, but underneath Barnaby could see the nice cut of suspenders over a pressed beige shirt. He pressed his lips into a thin line, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and approached.

Kotetsu had pulled off his helmet, and his hair was in spiked disarray. "Howdy, there, you hop here often?"

"Eventually you're going to run out of stupid jokes," Barnaby muttered, "then you're not going to have anything to say. It'll be a blessed day."

Kotetsu snorted. "Please. All the genius that happens up here," he tapped his temple, "and you think I'm gonna run out? Gimme some credit. Anyways, you said you wanted to ride, right?"

"As I recall, I said no, and then you pouted."

"Mmm… age has made my memory shoddy," Kotetsu said hazily, as he waved his hand through the air. "It's not important. What is important, is you hopping on - ah! See? That one wasn't even intentional. I'm just _that_ good. Please, don't be scared by the beauty of it."

Barnaby merely gave him a flat look.

"That face isn't cute," Kotetsu griped.

"I'm not a cute person."

"Ah, that's right." Kotetsu gave a sickening grin, fluttered his lashes, and pushed his voice up into a falsetto. "You're _handsome_."

Barnaby flushed, and darted his gaze away. "Please don't say such disgusting things with your face. It's embarrassing."

Kotetsu cackled, and thumped his hand against the back of the bike. "C'mooon. It's cold," he gave a forced shiver.

"It'll be colder when you start driving," Barnaby protested.

"I'll buy you fooooooood."

With that, Barnaby clambered awkwardly onto the back of the motorcycle. He'd always wanted one, but had just never gotten around to it, and now he found that he did find it rather comfortable. His knees knocked up against Kotetsu's thigh, and he pressed his feet onto the footrest. He heard the leather squeak underneath him as he reached backwards, hands wrapping around the metal bar.

"Nah, Bunny - you're gonna have to actually grab onto me," Kotetsu said over his shoulder. "And here - helmet." He tossed it to Barnaby, who proceeded to fumble his way through putting it on. His glasses cut into his nose, and he cursed, much to Kotetsu's enjoyment. He tilted forward, and tightened his grip around Kotetsu's waist. The jaw of his helmet pressed against Kotetsu's back, and the bike roared to life beneath him.

They took off down the road, and Barnaby felt a thrill rush through his stomach. The wind whipped up against his neck, and his curls streamed out from beneath the helmet. He smiled, and flipped his visor up. His hands quickly returned to Kotetsu, but he leaned back, and relished in the feeling. He could hear Kotetsu's warm laugh dance through the night as he turned a sharp corner.

Kotetsu, it seemed, didn't have much of a plan. He rode around town, with Barnaby enjoying the sensation. They stopped and ate, before Kotetsu drove them to an abandoned parking lot, and allowed Barnaby to practice on the bike. Kotetsu was so cheerful and supportive, Barnaby's ears were scarlet, as if there were anyone to witness the thirty year old man bouncing around like a child.

Afterwards, Kotetsu killed the engine, and flopped down on the concrete. His long legs stretched out miles in front of him, as Barnaby sat down with a bit more grace. He tucked his legs underneath him, and peered back up at the sky. The city pollution meant that no stars were discernible, except for two or three weak pinpricks that wavered.

"Ahh - where I grew up, it's gorgeous! I'm jealous Kaede gets to see the stars every night!" Kotetsu had a pleasant smile, and the yellow streetlamps illuminated it to Barnaby.

"You grew up outside of the city?"

"Yup! Mom has a traditional style house that my dad built," Kotetsu said, "and it's beautiful. No one's around, and mom has this huge garden." He lolled his head to the side, and his features were cast in the shadow. Barnaby could see a small jut of the nose, and when he spoke, his lips flickered in and out of existence. "You should come out there one day. It'd be fun. The drive's really not that far."

Barnaby hesitated. "Perhaps. One day."

They went home shortly afterwards - or, more accurately, to Barnaby's apartment. Once there, Kotetsu changed the bandages, and wished Barnaby a goodnight.

"I'm headed to Nathan's," Kotetsu explained, and waggled his phone in the air. "I'll see you at work tomorrow, yeah?"

"Of course," Barnaby smiled, and clicked the door shut.

The next day, Barnaby informed Kotetsu that he had begun peeling, and thus would not need to continue the wrap treatment. He made sure to say, however, that Kotetsu was still allowed to come visit. Kotetsu perked up, and happily handed over Barnaby's food.

Two days of rather uneventful peeling passed, before Kotetsu showed up one night, his eyes ringed, and his hand shaking.

Barnaby remembered the date.

He brought Kotetsu in, and seated the man in the only available chair. Then Barnaby brought over the pizza he'd thought to order beforehand.

"I almost stopped at every bar on the way," Kotetsu muttered. He didn't take the proffered food, and instead buried his face in his hands. "Kaede called me but… I couldn't answer…"

"All that matters," Barnaby said pragmatically, "is that you didn't succumb. You made it here perfectly fine."

Kotetsu didn't respond.

"Starving yourself won't help," Barnaby insisted, and pushed the box into Kotetsu's lap. The older man stared down at the box, and opened it, as if it were the most trying thing in the universe. He eventually conceded to nibbling on a slice, as he stared dejectedly at the carpet. He looked dangerously close to tears.

Just as Kotetsu had finally worked his way to a second slice, his phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket, and his whole face sagged as he stared at the screen.

"Hand it here," Barnaby said. Kotetsu put up no fight. Kaede's face beamed up at him in her contact photo, and Barnaby answered the call.

"Dad," Kaede sounded distressed. "Please! Grandma's worried about you! I'm… I'm worried!"

"Kaede," Barnaby said, his voice calm and reasonable. "It's Barnaby. Your father is here with me." He gave Kotetsu a look, before he headed off to his room. Kotetsu didn't seem to notice. "He's fine. He's just feeling a little out of it." He clicked his door shut behind him, to further muffle the sound of his voice.

Kaede let out a sob of relief. "Thank God," she whispered. "Mr. Barnaby… listen, there's something you gotta know. Dad he - don't let him - that is - ,"

"I've removed all the alcohol from my place," Barnaby replied evenly, "and he hadn't touched anything prior to him arriving here."

The line went silent for just a moment, and Barnaby could hear the crackle of indistinct movement on the other side. "He told you?"

"He did."

She breathed out. "Okay… that's… good…"

"Are you okay, Kaede?"

"I'm - I'm fine… actually… is there…. can I ask you something?"

"I will answer to the best of my ability."

Kaede lapsed into silence once more. "Your parents. Do you… remember what they look like?"

Barnaby frowned. "Not unless I'm remembering a photograph I have," he replied truthfully.

"So is it… okay - y'know to - to forget?" Kaede sounded nervous, as if she had been caught doing something terrible. Barnaby felt entirely out of his league.

"Are you sure this isn't something you should talk with your father about - whenever he's more capable?" he chose his words carefully, but Kaede made a noise of dissent.

"No! You - you know what it's like. Dad… it's different for him, right? He knew her as a grownup… his whole life… I only knew her as a baby and I - I can't remember!" Her voice choked, and Barnaby could hear the frantic breaths that rattled through her chest. He closed his eyes.

"Kaede… it is all right that you've forgotten. It's natural. People's memories from that particular cognitive point in their lives are rather unstable, and subject to change depending on what those around them say. If you hear something enough, you can fabricate a memory from that time period, but, aside from that, have no actual memories of the event itself." He reminded himself to keep it logical. Logic always helped. It reminded people that there was reason.

He heard nothing from Kaede. When she spoke, it appeared that she had steadied herself. "Today is… today is hard," she admitted quietly. "Especially for dad. But… thanks. I guess it… it helped. To know I'm not alone in forgetting stuff…"

"Of course," Barnaby said, in what he hoped was a rather kind voice. "I'm sorry your father is indisposed at the moment."

"It's fine," Kaede murmured. "Hey… could you maybe… stay on the line with me for a bit?" Her voice wavered with uncertainty. Barnaby glanced at the door behind him, and wondered if it would be all right. Then he remembered that Kaede was the most important thing to Kotetsu, and he would certainly want Kaede to be emotionally supported.

"Yes," Barnaby said. "That's fine."

"Grandma's burning incense and I just… can't…"

Barnaby sat on his bed, and traded stories with Kaede. Things they could remember, things they couldn't, but someone had told them. Things that were more sensory than concrete in their minds. Kaede recalled baking cookies with her mother, she'd often heard about Tomoe's singing, but couldn't clearly hear a sound, and she said that sometimes, if she went to a friend's house, she'd catch a momentary whiff of something reminiscent of her mother. It always gave her a terrible ache, and sometimes she'd pretend to be sick just to leave. Other Times she'd desperately scour the house, and ask inane questions, attempting to discover what the smell had been.

She never did find it out.

Barnaby could recall similar things from his childhood. He relayed them to her - his parents reading to him, how Samantha told him what their personalities had been like, and then the specific smell of oil that came from his parents' work clothes. Sometimes, he told Kaede, he could recall the sound of his father's pencil sharpener as he set about making blueprints.

Kaede talked of how soft her mother's hands had been, and Barnaby relayed how wrinkled Samantha's had felt against his cheek. Kaede mentioned her mother's long hair, that tickled her nose, and Barnaby told of his mother's short, wiry locks that curled around her chin.

They talked endlessly.

"Hey," Kaede croaked, voice hoarse from alternating from crying, to laughing, and in general having spoken so much, "shouldn't you go check on dad? I think grandma's done."

"Yes… are you going to be all right, Kaede?" Barnaby felt a warmth in his chest as he realized how much it mattered to him.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'll be fine… Thanks, Barnaby. Bye." The call ended, and Barnaby stood up. He made his way into the living room, where he saw Kotetsu spring to attention.

"Kaede - ,"

"She's fine," Barnaby placated. He held the hand with the phone in it up, to yield any other questions. "We were talking," he explained, "and she told me to come check on you."

"You were gone a long time," Kotetsu said, mildly suspicious.

"She had a lot to talk about. I worked it through with her, however. Call her back in the morning when you're up to par." Barnaby came closer. "Can I return your phone to you, or should I keep it?"

Kotetsu didn't reply. Instead, he tilted his head to the side, a strange look on his face.

"What did you two talk about?"

"She needed an outsider's perspective on something that was bothering her," Barnaby said. He frowned. "I'm not going to tell you the details - it wouldn't be fair to her."

Kotetsu's chin wobbled, and before Barnaby could move, Kotetsu had launched himself to the edge of the seat, and wrapped his arms around Barnaby's waist. Startled, Barnaby swayed, but was steadied by Kotetsu's strong arms locked around him, and his face pressed against Barnaby's stomach.

"Old man…?"

"You're too good, Bunny," Kotetsu mumbled. Barnaby felt his face flush hot as he stared at messy brown hair. He didn't know what to do, but it didn't seem to matter. He remained tightly wound, and stood completely still as Kotetsu held him.

Barnaby wasn't certain how long Kotetsu held onto him, but eventually Kotetsu's grip slackened. As he moved back, Kotetsu's hand slid to Barnaby's forearm, and cupped his elbow. Long, dark fingers tightened, and Kotetsu peered up into Barnaby's face.

"Sorry… you don't have to put up with this, y'know?" Kotetsu's voice was hoarse, and Barnaby wondered if he'd cried at all. His shirt wasn't damp, but Kotetsu definitely looked a tad more haggard.

"I know I don't have to." Barnaby used his free hand to push his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. He averted his gaze to the floor. "But I want to."

Kotetsu's smile wavered on his face, and looked in danger of being taken away by even the slightest wind. Barnaby returned it, before he completely extracted himself from Kotetsu. He cleaned up the pizza, and when he returned, he saw that Kotetsu had already changed into nightclothes.

"Ah, I'm glad I have you this year," Kotetsu said softly. He was sprawled out on his pallet, his gaze locked somewhere in the distance. "Each year's been a struggle but… knowing you'd be there to stomp your foot at me if I misbehaved helped." He grinned, and Barnaby tucked his curls behind his ear.

"Kaede seemed rather happy that you weren't by yourself. She was very worried for you."

"Yeah…" Kotetsu's brow creased. "She's the best daughter a man could ask for. Thanks for talking to her."

"Of course," Barnaby said. He stared at Kotetsu's pallet for a moment, before he deigned to drop carefully down next to the man.

"So," Kotetsu leaned back, and his neck curved as he peered up at Barnaby's ceiling, "you gonna keep me distracted?"

"What would you have me do?"

"Hmm… play some of your music." Kotetsu waved a hand. "With any luck, it'll make me fall asleep."

Barnaby scowled. But then, Kotetsu smiled at him again, and Barnaby complied. He grabbed the remote from his end table, and pressed a few buttons. _Ave Maria_ floated through the air, soft feminine vocals lulled their eyes shut.

"I actually know this one," Kotetsu sounded rather pleased with himself. "Never knew what the heck she was saying."

"It's a prayer," Barnaby replied, "to Mary."

"Eh? Really?" Kotetsu cracked one eye open to look at Barnaby. "What about the Maria chic?"

"Maria is Mary - in Latin."

"Ah… huh. Me n' Tomoe were never very religious," Kotetsu admitted. He fiddled with the wedding band around his finger. "Wonder where she is now. What's happening in the afterlife."

Barnaby shrugged. "The question bothered me a lot - when Samantha, and my parents died. Until I realized that it was pointless to worry about it. No matter where they are, I'll be there one day as well. Any of the afterlives, reincarnation, or just feeding the earth with our matter - it is what it is."

Kotetsu gave him a pained look. "Geez… Logic until the end, Bunny?"

"Of course." Barnaby smiled, a real genuine one, and he saw Kotetsu's mood perk up. The song switched to _Queen of the Night_. It garnered Kotetsu's attention, as he peered at Barnaby's speakers with alarm.

"She supposed to sound like that?"

"Yes," Barnaby rolled his eyes. "It's an incredibly difficult sound to create."

"Yeah, yeah…" Kotetsu began to lay down. He snagged the blanket, and tugged it up around his shoulders. Barnaby hesitated, and went to grab the remote. "You don't have to cut it off," the older man assured. "Just… sad. Makes me want to sleep."

Barnaby did turn the volume down ever so slightly, though. "I suppose these aren't to your taste."

"Ehh - guess you could say that." Kotetsu chuckled. "Opera, classical music, poems… Don't really get my attention, y'know?"

"Perhaps it's because you haven't found something that you can relate to."

"They're not really aimed at people like me."

"I can think of a poem you would like," Barnaby said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah?" Kotetsu's voice already sounded muzzy with sleep.

"It's a simple poem, really," Barnaby smirked.

"Smartass." Kotetsu's voice was merely a mumble from the bundle of blankets.

" _Tyger, Tyger, burning bright_

 _In the forests of the night_

 _What immortal hand or eye_

 _Could frame thy fearful symmetry?_

 _In what distant deeps or skies._

 _Burnt the fire of thine eyes?_

 _On what wings dare he aspire?_

 _What the hand, dare seize the fire?_

 _And what shoulder, & what art, _

_Could twist the sinews of thy heart?_

 _And when thy heart began to beat,_

 _What dread hand? & what dread feet? _

_What the hammer? what the chain,_

 _In what furnace was thy brain?_

 _What the anvil? what dread grasp,_

 _Dare its deadly terrors clasp!_

 _When the stars threw down their spears_

 _And water'd heaven with their tears:_

 _Did he smile his work to see?_

 _Did he who made the Lamb make thee?_

 _Tyger Tyger burning bright,_

 _In the forests of the night:_

 _What immortal hand or eye,_

 _Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?_ "

"Thazz byootiful, Bunny," Kotetsu muttered. He rolled over, and stared blearily at Barnaby. "Your voice izz real nice, too, y'know? S'melodic."

Barnaby pushed his glasses up his nose self-consciously. "Not really. It's a favorite of mine, so I've read it a lot."

"Might be my favorite now, too," Kotetsu said.

"You seem tired now," Barnaby went to rise up from his seat, but Kotetsu reached his hand out. His fingers curled around Barnaby's forearm, and held him stationed in place. Kotetsu seemed immediately embarrassed, and went to remove his hand.

"Sorry," Kotetsu said quickly, "not sure what came o'er me, jus'... tired."

Barnaby gave a slow nod. "If it won't bother you… I'll stay in here and listen to my music." He shifted, and saw Kotetsu agree. "Go on to sleep, old man. I don't want to hear you complaining in the morning that you didn't get enough rest."

"S'not funny, Bunny… us old people gotta get good n' well rested." He had already begun to drift off.

Barnaby clucked his tongue. "Contrary until the end." He watched Kotetsu's face grow slack, before he lay down on the pallet himself. Before long, his eyes fluttered closed, and he was asleep. He didn't wake until the morning, and pushed himself up off the pallet. His back complained ever so slightly, but he stretched, and distracted himself from the twinges.

He ran his fingers through his sleep ruffled hair, and when he rose to his feet, he made sure not to disturb the bundle that was certainly Kotetsu. He could hear snores emanating from within the depths of the blanket. A little bleary-eyed, Barnaby walked to the counter, where he'd left his phone the night prior. He unlocked it, to several messages from his coworkers.

Nathan had sent him no less than ten messages, all in the vein of, 'haven't heard from Tiger have u?', and other such variations. Antonio had sent him two messages, 'K won't answer his phone. Nathan is worried.', and 'if he's with you, answer'.

Barnaby quickly replied to both of them. He received two messages back almost instantly, both seemed rather waspish in their response due to Barnaby's late reply.

He heard the noises of the other man waking up, and turned to greet a half-sleep Kotetsu.

"Mm… don't taste alcohol on my breath," Kotetsu said in way of greeting. He smacked his lips. "Both good and bad."

"All good," Barnaby corrected. "Now, get up. The sooner we get food in you, the sooner you can call Kaede, and tell her you're okay."

Kotetsu gave Barnaby a rather astonished look, but it seemed to be a happy expression, all the same. Barnaby made both of them oatmeal, and poured Kotetsu a glass of juice. They sat at the table and ate. Barnaby didn't even think about the calories.

"Thanks for last night," Kotetsu said, voice still gruff with sleep.

"If you keep thanking me, I'm going to shove this spoon down your throat," Barnaby said mildly.

"Ah! Mean! This can't be the same, sweet Bunny that recited poetry for me!"

Barnaby flushed. "Please don't be so ridiculous this early in the morning. I need time to prepare for your stupidity." Kotetsu snorted, but returned to his meal. A few minutes of silence passed, with Barnaby stealing covert glances at Kotetsu. The older man seemed to be doing fine, but Barnaby couldn't be completely certain.

Kotetsu arched a brow at Barnaby, with his spoon halfway to his mouth. "Relax, kid. I'm not gonna break. I'm just exceedingly fragile one night of the year."

"I didn't say anything," Barnaby protested.

"It's written all over your face," Kotetsu replied. "Ya didn't need to say it. Your concern is cute, Bunny - but I promise I'll be alright."

Barnaby nodded.

Later, Kotetsu checked Barnaby's tattoo, and declared it officially healed. He told Barnaby to set up an appointment sometime soon. He got dressed quickly, and promised to assure Antonio and Nathan that it was all his fault - and not Barnaby's at all.

"That's all I ask," Barnaby said, as he walked Kotetsu to the door.

"See you… how's tomorrow night?" Kotetsu stood in the hall outside of Barnaby's flat, and while Barnaby leaned against the doorframe, his hip propped up against it. He nodded.

"That's fine with me, gramps. Make sure to write it down, so you don't forget."

"So rude!" Kotetsu protested. He crab walked backwards, and shook a finger at Barnaby. "Go back to being cute!"

Barnaby rolled his eyes, and showed Kotetsu a rather expressive finger. Kotetsu gave a dramatic gasp, and keeled backwards. He clutched at his chest, and shook his head desperately at Barnaby.

"The horror!"

"Go home already," Barnaby called with a final wave. He shut the door behind him, pointedly ignoring more of Kotetsu's theatrics.

Barnaby wasn't certain _how_ he'd come to an ice cream parlor with his boss. Nathan had suddenly whisked him off to a startlingly periwinkle building, and had promptly shoved a rather decorative looking vanilla cone in front of him as they hunkered down at a blue table.

"Isn't it lovely? I know the woman who owns this place." Nathan gave a magisterial wave to the lady behind the counter. "The Blue Rose is fantastic, I always bring Antonio here. He doesn't look it, but he really loves sweets. Tries to avoid them to keep up that macho physique he's got."

Barnaby stared at the ice cream, but didn't take a bite.

"Handsome," Nathan's voice carried a warning. "I bought you that. It would be a bit rude - not to eat it."

Barnaby understood, nodded, and went to take a bite. Just as he took his first lick, he heard the sound of a camera shutter. Startled, he lifted a sharp gaze to Nathan, who looked completely unabashed.

"It's for Tiger-honey," Nathan said, as if that made everything better. "He'll be so happy to know you're well-fed."

"I doubt he cares that much." Barnaby returned to his ice cream rather hesitantly. "He'll probably be more upset that you didn't buy him any."

Nathan's phone pinged, as did Barnaby's. He dug into his pocket, and had to stifle a laugh.

'Traitor Bunny! How cld u go eat w/out me? And ice cream, 2?' The message was followed by several crying faces.

"I told you," Barnaby said smugly.

"Mm? Interesting. That's not what mine says." Nathan managed to out-smug Barnaby (an impressive feat), and dangled his phone in front of Barnaby's face. He couldn't read the message with how fast Nathan twiddled the device. "If you wanna know what it says, though - all you need to do is tell me what's going on in that golden little head of yours." Nathan retracted his phone, and leaned his chin into his hand.

"I don't know what you mean," Barnaby replied truthfully. "Please elaborate." He thought of denying that he wanted to read the message, but… he did. And Nathan would probably know if he lied now, especially after the way his eyes had greedily tracked the phone.

"Oh, just that you seem to have a thing for Tiger-honey," Nathan said easily. He dug his spoon down into his caramel machiatto scoop, and waved the ice cream in Barnaby's face. "Am I wrong?"

Barnaby remained silent.

"I'm already pretty certain, I should point out. I'm merely asking to double-check. Also to thoroughly remind you that both Antonio and I have known Kotetsu for years, so if you thought of doing anything harmful, breaking his heart, yada yada, we'd both be _excruciatingly_ angry with you." Nathan lowered his lids to half-mast, and set his mouth into a formidable frown.

Barnaby set his ice cream down, and laced his fingers together underneath his chin. "I can assure you I have no intentions of acting inappropriately with Kotetsu. Nor," he said carefully, "do I intend to seek any sort of relationship with him."

Nathan peered at him. "Nice wording." He grinned, and Barnaby returned it - still cautious. "Fine. I'll accept that. Ah, I owe you a message. Kotetsu said you looked cute, and thanked me for getting you to eat something more filling than a salad."

 _Of course_ , Barnaby thought, _nothing out of the ordinary for the old man_.

"Now, let's talk!" Nathan spread his large hand across the table, and tapped his manicured nails against the plastic. "I just saw this new opera, and it was absolutely _gorgeous_ , honey! You've got to go see it when you get the chance!"

Barnaby passed the rest of his time with Nathan amicably. They discussed shows that they had both seen, and Barnaby was even able to discuss some of his favorite documentaries with Nathan. They wiled away the hours, until afternoon. Then he assured Nathan he'd see him at work tomorrow, and headed home.

Once there, Barnaby was surprised to hear his phone chirrup. He pulled it out, and saw that it was a video chat from Kotetsu. He slid up, accepted the call, and was immediately greeted by a cheery Kotetsu.

"Oiiii - Bunny! You home?!"

"Why?"

Kotetsu's face dipped out of the camera's view, as sounds of a scuffle reached Barnaby's ears. He watched the phone shake around, and chuckled as he hung his coat up on the rack. Kaede soon appeared, and gave her father a rather dour look. Off-screen, Kotetsu could be heard, visibly pouting.

"Ugh! It was _my_ idea, let me ask him!" Kaede straightened her hair, and cleared her throat.

Offscreen, Barnaby could hear Kotetsu mutter, "You're not the one with his number."

"Ignore him, Kaede," Barnaby interjected. "Children are often mouthy." He gave an easy laugh to match Kaede's.

"Okay! Well! We're going to go see a movie, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with?" Kaede's eyes were large and hopeful, as she peered up at him from the phone screen. In the corner, Kotetsu's messy brown hair appeared, and he attempted to discreetly peer at Barnaby over Kaede's shoulder.

Barnaby paused, but found himself relenting with the full force of both of their gazes on him.

"That's fine."

He soon joined them at the movie theater. He had barely gotten out of his car, when he'd been bombarded by Kaede. She'd thrown her arms around his waist and beamed up at him.

"You're an honorary Kaburagi now!" she shouted into his jacket.

"Kaede!" Kotetsu appeared behind her, and Barnaby felt something tighten his chest. He realized how wonderful the stupid, lanky, older man looked. His knee was bent, as he had one foot hooked around the other, and a bemused smile on his face. He scratched at his chin, and gave Barnaby an apologetic look. "Sorry. I told her you might not come, so she was kinda excited…"

"It's no problem," Barnaby said. Kaede detached herself from Barnaby, and scuttled back over to her father.

"See? Eat your words!"

"Who taught you to speak that way! So rude!"

"You sound like grandma," Kaede said snidely. She crossed her arms, and tossed her hair. "Whatever. C'mon! We've gotta get going! You promised snacks!" She raced off, and Kotetsu whined as he turned to follow. He waited for Barnaby to join him, and faked his back aching as he hobbled along.

"Ah, seriously, Bunny… Glad you came." Kotetsu smiled at him, theatrics done, as they headed towards the line for popcorn. "Good to see you finally doing normal things."

"Hm. You would have bothered me if I didn't show," Barnaby replied. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and declined Kotetsu's attempts at getting him to pick out snack food. Kotetsu still bought an abnormally large bucket of popcorn, along with a gallon-sized soft drink that he shoved into Barnaby's hands. They ran into Kaede, as she waited impatiently by the line.

She handed the tickets over, and they headed back to the theater. Kaede and Kotetsu quarrelled loudly over which seats were better, while Barnaby fell in step behind them. The theater was empty, and the two weren't disturbing other patrons as they hollered over one another.

They finally settled on seats, and Barnaby was able to sit down. He sat in between the two, and stared dubiously at Kaede as she craned her neck to slurp from the drink still in his hands.

"I suppose I should ask what movie we're seeing…?" Barnaby glanced at Kotetsu, who had already shoveled popcorn in his mouth.

"Uhm… Kaah-ey-dah whaf mofie ish it?"

Barnaby curled his lip up at the mushed food.

Kaede looked equally unimpressed. She lunged across Barnaby, snagged some popcorn, and flopped back. She purposefully ate one piece at a time.

"It's this new Disney movie," Kaede began, and she rambled on about things that Barnaby had no idea about. Kotetsu seemed just as disinterested, however, and continued eating. Much like Kaede, Kotetsu seemed to have no qualms about leaning into Barnaby's lap to take swigs of the drink.

Soon the lights dimmed, and the movie began. Barnaby didn't retain much of it, but Kaede seemed rather intent on the screen. Not really thinking, Barnaby took some of Kotetsu's proffered popcorn during the runtime of the movie, and found he didn't hate it.

After the movie, they walked out of the theater, as Kaede clung to her dad's hand and sang the musical numbers passionately. How she had retained any of the lyrics was a mystery to Barnaby, but she now belted them out without abandon.

"Calm down, calm down," Kotetsu protested, as he pushed a finger into his ear. "We gotta talk dinner, kiddo!"

"Dinner?" Barnaby arched his brow. "Didn't you just eat?"

"Popcorn isn't _real_ food, Mr. Barnaby," Kaede scoffed. She twirled, and attempted to mimic one of the dances from the movie. "That's not nourishment."

"Of course," Barnaby said mildly. "How foolish of me."

"It's okay - dad said you don't eat right anyways." Kaede pirouetted around them. Barnaby shot a glare at Kotetsu, who had the decency to appear sheepish.

"Ah, well," Kotetsu rubbed at the back of his head. "I'm not wrong."

"You are," Barnaby said stiffly. "I can assure you, I'm perfectly healthy." He tried to say this to Kaede, but found she had already whirled away.

"I vote McDonald's," she called over her shoulder.

"Figures," Kotetsu sighed. "Wanna come?"

Barnaby went. He sat at a sticky table, and ate something limp that claimed to be a salad, but clearly wasn't. Kotetsu tried to push his fries on him, but Barnaby merely grimaced at the sight of salt raining off of it. He listened as Kaede talked about the movie, and enthused on new ones that would be coming out soon. She managed to drag promises of attending future movies out of him.

"Mm - it's getting late, dad," Kaede finally piped up. "You promised game night."

"Of course, of course," Kotetsu brushed his hands together, wiping off more salt. Both of them turned expectant gazes onto Barnaby. "You coming, Bunny?"

And of course Barnaby did. He met them at Kotetsu's apartment, and realized this would be the first time he'd been inside of it. The outside was ordinary brick, with nothing impressive about it. Kotetsu lived in the bottom corner unit, and stood outside, waving at Barnaby as he pulled in.

"Sorry it's a bit messy," Kotetsu laughed, and rubbed at the back of his head. His hat was pushed forward over his eyes, as he quickly ducked inside. Barnaby followed, and was startled at the smell. It reeked of stale cigarettes and alcohol, with a strange mix of incense. His nose crinkled, as he took in the small apartment, with old furniture that creaked as Kaede flopped down on the yellowed couch with a gameboard in her hands.

Kotetsu looked embarrassed, but Barnaby quickly grabbed his wrist, and tugged him close enough to whisper.

"Why does it smell like alcohol…?" he kept his voice flat and low, so Kaede wouldn't notice.

"Ah… used to fall asleep with bottles a lot. Messed up the carpet," Kotetsu whispered back.

Barnaby flushed. "Oh. Sorry…"

"No," Kotetsu grinned. "I need someone to answer to, aside from her." He jerked his chin towards Kaede. "Reminds me to not go that way again. And as for the cigarette smell - I cut down on that." Kotetsu smiled, and slid his hand up, so his fingers curled around Barnaby's. "Thanks, Bunny… means a lot that you care."

"Right." Barnaby swallowed, and averted his gaze.

"Hey!" Kaede had turned around, and had her arms resting on the back of the couch. "Can you guys hurry up?" she drawled. Her eyes rested on their joined hands for a moment, but Barnaby quickly retracted his.

"Of course. Sorry to keep you waiting, Kaede."

They played several board games, most of which Barnaby had never heard of. He discovered that both he and Kaede had a competitive streak in them. At one point, Kotetsu pardoned himself from the game, claiming that he couldn't withstand the insults any longer. Kaede's tiny fist pummeled the table at occasion, while Barnaby kept gritting his teeth, and shoved his glasses up with a bit more vigor than was required.

Through it all, Barnaby was aware of Kotetsu's warm gaze on the both of them.

After Kaede yawned a bit too many times, Kotetsu called it quits for them. He scooped up a sleepy Kaede, and she scowled at Barnaby over Kotetsu's shoulder.

"It's not over, buster," she mumbled, Kotetsu's hair blocking her face. "Next time I'll kick your golden butt."

"I look forward to your, presumably, _failed_ attempt," Barnaby smirked.

Kaede snarled.

"Oi, oi, you two! The game is over. Spare me!" Kotetsu sighed. He jostled Kaede, and she squeaked in displeasure.

"Ugh… have a good night, Barnaby!" Kaede said, a bit more pleasant. He wished her the same, and watched as Kotetsu disappeared further into the apartment. He returned shortly after, an exasperated look on his face.

"I knew you were a perfectionist, but _damn_ , Bunny!" Kotetsu laughed.

"Sorry," Barnaby frowned. "Did I go overboard?"

Kotetsu blinked. "Uh - no. I was kidding. Kaede loved it… aw, were you worried! Bunny! That's adorable!" He beamed. Barnaby scowled.

"I was simply worried about Kaede."

"Eh - she can be pretty mean, so don't worry," Kotetsu chuckled, and flopped down on the couch. His long legs sprawled out in front of him, and his ankles hooked one over the other. Barnaby licked his lips.

"I suppose I should go home." Barnaby said, more to himself than anything else.

"Eh? Oh - I guess you can. I'll walk you out."

Kotetsu stood, and walked Barnaby down the stairs. In his stomach, Barnaby kept having the sensation of tension building, as each step allowed his forearm to brush dangerously close against Kotetsu's. He found himself wondering, for the first time, what it would actually feel like to kiss Kotetsu. What it would be like to be walked to his car, recieve a kiss, and promise to return another day.

He chastised himself. He got into his car without another word, and listlessly returned the wave that Kotetsu gave him.

Barnaby felt as if he were sinking.

"Honey," Nathan sighed, "you look terrible."

At lunch, after Kotetsu had showed up, cheesy grins and food in hand, Barnaby had walked down to the lunch table with him. There, Nathan had seemed to innately sense what was bothering Barnaby, and had immediately volunteered Barnaby to help him go get food, so as to talk to him alone. Kotetsu had protested, asking why Antonio couldn't just go with him, but Nathan had shut him down by saying 'you can't always hog Handsome', effectively shutting Kotetsu up.

Now they stood in the line of the next door diner, awaiting the food Nathan had complained about on previous occasions.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Barnaby replied. He had his hands in his jackets, and picked at his nails out of sight.

"Mmm _hm_. I don't know who you think you're kidding, Handsome."

Barnaby pressed his lips into a thin line.

"So what? Did something happen with Tiger-honey?"

"No."

"So curt! Could it be you're upset that nothing's happened?" They moved forward a few paces, as customers were helped.

"No." Barnaby hesitated, and stared at Nathan's imploring gaze. He supposed he was being unfair. In his mind's eye, he could imagine Kotetsu wagging a finger at him, telling him to be nice. He gritted his teeth together. "Nothing in particular happened. I went to the movie with Kotetsu and Kaede."

"Kotetsu mentioned that," Nathan said, his pinky nail lodged in between plump lips. He seemed to notice Barnaby's startled expression. "Don't worry - nothing detailed. He just mentioned it when I was texting him."

"Right…" Barnaby trailed off. One question burned on his tongue, but he was afraid of the answer. He wanted to know, really, if Kotetsu was straight. But, he also recognized that it was much easier to tell himself that Kotetsu was straight, and thus off-limits. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"I know, honey… Relationships are never easy." Nathan's voice dropped its usual lilt, but they were at the front of the line, and Barnaby was silenced as Nathan placed his order. He waited until they stepped away from the counter to peer up at Nathan over the rims of his glasses.

"You're asking about me an awful lot. Are you okay?"

"Definitely not," Nathan replied. "But, I've learned how to deal with it."

"Deal with it, huh? Doesn't seem very fair."

Nathan's smile was sad. "No… it isn't, is it? Not much you can do, when you feel this way, though."

Barnaby nodded.

They slipped back into more casual conversation, as they made their way back to the lunch area. Kotetsu and Antonio both waved - one more enthusiastically than the other - as they sat down.

"Oh, Handsome." Nathan interrupted Kotetsu's greetings, and passed Antonio his food without looking, "I wanted to tell you about the Christmas party coming up. Mandatory, I'm afraid, for all my darlings to come." He grinned, and batted his lashes. "And of course, I'll make sure I have plenty of eye candy for you, as well."

Barnaby contained his bewildered stare. "Are you certain you know my type?" he asked frostily.

If Nathan could have purred, he would. "I'm fairly certain."

Kotetsu rubbed at the back of his head. "Eh? You interested in dating now, Bunny? You told me you weren't!"

"I'm not," Barnaby said, slowly. "Nathan wasn't suggesting I date, either."

"That's right." Nathan shrugged. "But you don't need to date to have a good time." He bit into his sandwich, and Barnaby stabbed at his salad. He could tell what Nathan was doing.

Kotetsu gave a nervous laugh. "Ahh, guess that is the way with the young 'uns, here lately!" He gave Barnaby a slap on the back. "Oi, if you find someone cute, they gotta get my seal of approval, Bunny!"

Barnaby scowled. "Why would I need _your_ approval?"

"Eh? Well - to make sure they'll treat you right, of course!" Kotetsu chuckled, and rubbed at his beard.

Barnaby set down his fork. "You are aware that you're not my father, correct?" He felt something like shame and resentment curling in his stomach. He found that he was rather angry at Nathan, for turning the subject this direction.

"Well, no, but - don't you need someone looking out for you, Bunny?" Kotetsu's voice had a plea in it.

Barnaby stood from his seat. "No, I don't. And I can assure you, that if and when I do find someone, I hope they never have the displeasure of having to deal with you."

"Hey," Kotetsu's voice carried a warning, "that was rude. You need to calm down."

" _Stop_ doing that," Barnaby snapped.

"Stop doing what?" Kotetsu was bewildered, as Nathan and Antonio looked on with anxious expressions.

"Infantilizing me!"

"I'm not!"

Barnaby stomped his foot, and spun around. He left his salad half-finished, and his friends behind. He stormed his way up the stairs, unsure of the emotions that whirled around him. He'd almost reached the office before he realized he could hear the angry tap of footsteps behind him.

"Don't you storm away," Kotetsu huffed behind him, eyebrows drawn down in anger.

"I'm not storming away, I'm just not going to sit there and be treated like a child!"

"I'm not treating you like a child!" Kotetsu said, exasperated. He got close enough, and grabbed Barnaby by the wrist. Fury welled up in Barnaby, as he quickly snatched his arm back. "Listen to me!"

"What could you possibly have to say that - ,"

" _I'm sorry_."

Barnaby halted. His cheeks were hot, and he glowered down at Kotetsu, who looked just as unnerved.

"I wasn't trying to infan… whatever - treat you like a kid. It wasn't my intention at all." Kotetsu held up his pinky finger. "Promise."

Barnaby stared at the proffered digit.

"You're supposed to hook your pinky with mine," Kotetsu explained, wiggling it at Barnaby. "It's an oath."

Barnaby parted his lips. He darted his tongue against the top one, before he extended his hand. His pinky curled around Kotetsu's, and he glowered at the older man's knuckles.

"I just want you to be happy, Bunny," Kotetsu smiled, "that's all I meant by wanting to meet whoever you're interested in."

Barnaby cleared his throat. "The man. That I'd be interested in." He maintained Kotetsu's gaze.

Kotetsu gave a slow nod, but his pinky remained tight around Barnaby's. "Right."

After that, Kotetsu offered to go grab Barnaby's abandoned salad, so he could finish eating up in the office, where no one would bother him. Barnaby agreed, and Kotetsu dashed downstairs. Barnaby used that time to grab a spare chair, and push it up by his desk, so that Kotetsu would have a spot to sit. In no time, Kotetsu was back, and they finished lunch, with an only slightly uncomfortable mood. They both avoided mention of the earlier conversation, and Barnaby tried not to delight too much in the fact that Kotetsu didn't seem to mind the fact that their thighs pressed into a thin line when they sat next to each other to eat.

"Am I seeing you this weekend at the shop?" Kotetsu asked before leaving. Barnaby confirmed this, said his good-byes, and checked his phone. There were several apologetic texts from Nathan.

'Srry, was trying to provoke him, not you'

'Sure you weren't trying to provoke someone else with that eye-candy line?' Barnaby sent back.

'Touche'

The weekend came, and Barnaby found his way back to Kotetsu's room in The Wild Tiger.

"Hiya, Bunny!" Kotetsu was sitting in his rolling chair, and wheeled ecstatically around. "You ready for some pain?"

"Very encouraging, old man," Barnaby huffed.

"I'm just messing with ya," Kotetsu waved his hand through the air, and Barnaby clambered onto the tattoo chair. "You handled it really well last time."

Kotetsu wasted less time on the formalities than he had previously, and quickly got down to it. The needle felt different this time, with larger, broader strokes covering up Barnaby's back. Much like last time, the tattoo went rather smoothly, until the gun dipped into the small of his back, and against his vertebrae.

Barnaby's whole body tensed, and Kotetsu murmured encouragement, as he ran his thumb in smoothing circles. It was nonsense little tangents, a mix of, 'you're doing good Bunny', and 'you got this', but they helped Barnaby relax underneath Kotetsu's ministrations.

This time, instead of taking a break in the middle, Kotetsu simply said to push through, and he'd take Barnaby out for dinner. The prospect loomed before Barnaby, and he pressed his mouth into a hard line, and bore with it.

"This color looks good with your skintone, Bunny," Kotetsu spoke up, and Barnaby curled his hands into fists. "Ah… did I weird you out?"

"You're a weird old man in general," Barnaby replied, keeping his voice light and airy.

"Hey, hey," Kotetsu tutted, "don't be rude."

"I know, I know," Barnaby smiled, "you've got a gun to my back."

"Oi! That was a pun!" Kotetsu sounded ecstatic, and Barnaby let a small laugh burble out. The gun stopped behind him, and Kotetsu set it down on the table. "C'mon, get it out your system. You go laughin' like that while I'm doing this, and I don't think you'll like the results."

"Can't be any worse than what it started as," Barnaby said, voice dour.

"Ah, I think I'll miss the little bunny," Kotetsu said wistfully. "It was awfully cute."

"You say everything is cute," Barnaby sneered.

"Only if I really mean it," Kotetsu corrected.

Barnaby flushed. "Right."

Kotetsu continued to chatter, and finally the conversation turned towards Christmas.

"What would you like?" Kotetsu asked. Barnaby didn't notice that he'd tensed up, until Kotetsu was rubbing a soothing circle with his thumb.

"I don't celebrate the holidays," Barnaby said simply. But of course, nothing with Kotetsu could be simple.

"Eh? Why not! If it's religion, I'm not a Christian either."

"It's not that. It just hasn't been a big deal in my life."

"Until now," Kotetsu corrected. "Seriously, I wanna get you something. You're my friend!"

"I'm telling you, there's nothing that I can't just get for myself."

"Fine, be like that!" Kotetsu huffed. "I'll find something for ya."

"I'm not going to fight you anymore. I've learned it's futile."

"That's the spirit!"

Kotetsu laughed, and Barnaby felt a physical pang at how much he loved the sound of it. He closed his eyes, and lectured himself on being content with what he had - a best friend.

"So, I take it you don't have any plans for Christmas, then?"

"Am I that obvious?" Barnaby smiled.

"Ahhh, only to me," Kotetsu said. "I was just wondering if you'd want to come out with me n' Kaede to ma's. She's asked after you - said she wants to feed you properly." His voice was light and teasing, and Barnaby turned, slightly. Kotetsu's head was still bent over the tattoo, and didn't seem to notice his spectator.

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate? I'm not family."

Barnaby could feel himself sinking.

"Eh? Says who? Friends are family!" Kotetsu looked up then, and beamed. His gun stopped, and whirred uselessly above Barnaby's skin. "And anyways, Kaede wants you to come, too. Everyone that matters!"

Barnaby hesitated, his front teeth pressed against his lips. He peered at Kotetsu through his long lashes. "And what about you…?"

"Bunny," Kotetsu sounded exasperated, "if I didn't want you there, I wouldn't have invited you in the first place."

"Right…" Barnaby faced forward again. "Let me think about it, okay…?"

"Fine, fine. Your _totally_ busy schedule, with _all_ those friends you have," Kotetsu teased. "The only way you're getting out of this, buddy, is if you do find someone at Nathan's party."

"Doubtful," Barnaby said quietly.

"Well," Kotetsu drawled, as he set the needle back to Barnaby's skin, "I'm not certain what it is you're into, buddy, but I will say, Nathan's taste is… interesting." He clucked his tongue. "He tried to pull the whole 'eye candy' thing with me once upon a time. Didn't go so well."

Barnaby wanted desperately to ask what Kotetsu's type was. He refrained. "That bad?"

"He tried to find a bunch of women that looked like Tomoe." Kotetsu kept his voice even. Barnaby clenched his eyes shut as the needle hit a divot. "He meant well, but…" he trailed off, and sighed.

"Right… Wait. You go to these things?" Barnaby scrunched up his nose. "Will you be at this one?"

"Yup! Nathan invites me, and Antonio says it makes him feel better to have my ugly mug with him. I usually go, then head out to Ma's afterwards, and spend all day Christmas Eve and day with her. Of course, you could always go with me-e-e-e," Kotetsu sing-songed.

"I told you I'd think about it."

Barnaby lapsed into his own thoughts, and attempted to ignore the needle. He wondered if he should get Kotetsu anything, and if Kotetsu would even want anything from him. He figured Kotetsu was the kind of person who would be happy to get so much as a pencil sharpener, but Barnaby felt like getting something that would actually matter. Then, there would be the formality (if he chose to go) of getting Mrs. Kaburagi and Kaede presents as well.

He frowned. Would he go? He wasn't certain. He wanted to, of course, but being cozy with Kotetsu's family sounded as if it would be a thousand times more painful than he could imagine. Barnaby was aware that he kept setting himself up - and yet, he couldn't stop.

He didn't realize how much time had passed, until Kotetsu let out a loud noise. Barnaby turned to look over his shoulder in time to see Kotetsu's back arched, and his arms thrown up high above him. The tattoo gun lay to the side.

"Bunny, I gotta say - this looks damn good on ya!" Kotetsu beamed, and Barnaby wished he could cuss the man for his ignorance of Barnaby's internal conflict. He stood, and felt the now familiar burning sensation across his back. He walked over to the mirror, and peered at the tattoo.

He felt warmth - at something so beautiful and vibrant spiraling up his back. He could see the phoenix in full color now, the deep reds and golds of the wings sprawled out. Fire jutted up around the bird, and Barnaby was ecstatic to see that there was no hint of the pink bunny that had plagued him. It was much larger, he supposed, than he would have wanted. It almost reached his shoulder blades - but, he wouldn't have it any other way. The size lended to how impressive it was, and he clutched at his shirt still up around his shoulders. He didn't want to look away.

"You like it?" Kotetsu asked, his smile soft as he watched from his chair.

"I love it," Barnaby's voice broke. He saw the absolute joy and surprise on Kotetsu's face, and pushed his glasses nervously up his nose. "It's… amazing."

"It looks better on you then I thought it would - not that I thought it would look bad!" Kotetsu hastily corrected himself, "but… you're so pale, it really pops, y'know?" He wheeled closer. "I'm glad you like it, though, Bunny."

"Me, too," Barnaby said. "I'm so glad that stupid thing is gone." He squinted critically at his own reflection.

"And from the ashes, rises the _mighty phoenix_ ," Kotetsu intoned, with a deep and dramatic voice. He clenched his fist in front of himself, and shook it imperiously. Barnaby gave him a rather dry look. "So - same deal as with the linework? I'll come over each night, and during your lunch breaks?"

"If it doesn't inconvenience you," Barnaby said slowly. His eyes kept flickering to the fresh ink that shined.

"Oh! Mind if I take a picture?" Kotetsu wheeled hurriedly backwards, and snagged a camera. "This one's great, and I definitely want it memorialized."

"That's… yes, it's fine." Barnaby nodded. Kotetsu instructed him to turn around, as he rolled up behind Barnaby. He took the picture, and whooped. "So excitable," Barnaby sighed. "Like a child."

"Whatever," Kotetsu snorted. He snatched the seran wrap off the counter, but was interrupted by the clicking sound of heels.

"Did you finish it?" Agnes had her hip propped against the doorway, and she slid her eyes to Barnaby. "He's been really excited about this one," she said, "so I wanted to see it."

"You know I always take pictures," Kotetsu grumbled. He looked embarrassed.

"Pictures aren't the same. Spin, Blondie," Agnes instructed.

Barnaby stared.

"Either spin, or I'll flick it." She held up her manicured nails, and Barnaby hastily turned around. She gave a low whistle. "You did a really good job with that lineart!" She leaned forward, and Barnaby could swear he felt her breath on his back as she peered closer. "That gradient on the feathers is amazing… you'll have to show me how you did that. Oh, and those flames - I like the shape you gave them… IVAN!" Barnaby started, as she suddenly bellowed over her shoulder.

Ivan appeared, and nervously shuffled into the room.

"Did he finish…?"

"Yes, and check it out!" Agnes pointed at Barnaby, and soon Ivan was bent over with her.

"Beautiful… You really outdid yourself, Mr. Kotetsu. I knew you were excited about it - and now I can see why."

"I'm sure there's many reasons he was excited," Agnes snorted.

"All right! All right! Get out, both of ya! Ivan - don't you have a client right now?" Kotetsu snapped, and waved his hands at his workers.

"Ah, yes sir." Ivan hastily retreated, while Agnes looked affronted. She slowly sashayed out the door, purposefully taking longer each time Kotetsu shooed her. Once she was gone, Kotetsu turned back to Barnaby, clearly sheepish, as he rubbed at the back of his head.

"Sorry about that," Kotetsu grumbled.

"It's fine," Barnaby replied. "It is a beautiful tattoo…"

Kotetsu smiled, and retrieved the wrap. He walked over to Barnaby, and began pressing it over the tattoo, fingers carefully smoothing down the edges. Barnaby couldn't shake the feeling that Kotetsu's hands lingered on his ribcage before he made his way further down to the small of Barnaby's back. Once the wrap was in place, Kotetsu patted him on the hip.

"Agh!" Kotetsu yelped, and clutched at his hand.

"What?" Barnaby pulled down his shirt as he turned to his friend.

"Your hip! So boney! It cut my hand!"

"Oh, shut up."

Barnaby felt the rest of the week pass in a blur. Kotetsu kept his promise to visit, and stayed for as long as Barnaby allowed. He'd spent the night a couple of times, by very pronouncedly yawning, and waiting for Barnaby to sigh, roll his eyes, and offer to set up the pallet. Sometimes, Barnaby would fall asleep in the floor with him, watching some movie Kotetsu would put on to pass the time. He'd lay carefully on his hip so as to avoid hurting his still healing tattoo.

He also kept a more steady contact with Nathan. The two had found that their trials in human interaction were quite similar. It seemed that, while Nathan was wonderful at putting up a front, he shared much of Barnaby's mindset when it came to interacting with people. He also happened to share Barnaby's unfortunate plague of having fallen for someone unattainable.

Over the weekend, Barnaby was called to the Kaburagi residence, where Kaede eagerly demanded to see the tattoo. He denied, at first, on grounds of it being inappropriate, but Kotetsu called him an idiot. He hoisted his shirt up - just enough for the tattoo to be visible - while Kaede 'ooo'd.

"It's pretty, Barnaby! Dad's good at something, at least." Kaede nudged her father with an elbow, and he pushed her off the couch. Down on the floor, Kaede launched a few kicks at Kotetsu's shin until he begged her forgiveness. "Ugh… so immature, right?"

"Right," Barnaby grinned.

"Says the two who were fighting over Monopoly," Kotetsu grumbled as he held his abused shin.

"You're just mad 'cuz you went bankrupt in under ten turns. Who does that?" Kaede gave her father a critical look.

"It was pretty pathetic," Barnaby agreed.

Kotetsu continued to rub at his shin petulantly.

"So, Barnaby!" Kaede perked up, as she rolled forward onto her knees. She peered up at Barnaby, with an excited look on her face. "Are you coming to Christmas? Me, dad, 'n grandma all want you to come!" She played a drumroll on her thighs as she wiggled in place.

Barnaby hesitated. "I've… your father asked me, and I've been considering," he finally said.

Kaede's spirit dampened slightly. "Right. Gotcha. You're probably, like, super busy."

"No, that's not it - ," Barnaby broke off, and his hand rose uselessly into the air. "I just have some personal things to sort out." He made sure to choose his words carefully, but he noticed Kotetsu's sharp eyes.

Kaede said she understood, and started on her homework. She went to the kitchen table, and Barnaby followed, at her request. She fanned her papers out across the table, and Barnaby placed his palm flat against the surface, and leaned over to help her. Kotetsu sat on the couch, fiddling with his fingers.

Barnaby instructed her where she needed help, and was pleasantly surprised to see that she didn't need much.

"I think you lack confidence more than anything," Barnaby said knowingly. Kaede gave a sheepish grin, and shrugged her shoulders.

Kotetsu finally stood up, and made his way into the kitchen with them. He started moving around between the cabinets. "Want some chips, Kaede?" he called over his shoulder.

Barnaby gave him a critical look. "Wouldn't a sliced apple be a better snack?"

"That sounds good!" Kaede agreed. "Ooo, as long as I can have peanut butter!"

Kotetsu made a few half-hearted arguments, but soon came over with a bowl of apple wedges, and a small cup full of peanut butter.

"Thanks, dad!" Kaede said, before stuffing a slice in her mouth. "And thank-you, Barnaby! I think I've got it now."

"Good. Have more faith in yourself." Barnaby patted her on the shoulder, and took an apple after she proffered him her bowl. He met Kotetsu's gaze, and the two headed back into the living room to let Kaede focus on her work.

"You really looked like a dad in there," Kotetsu said. His voice sounded a bit off, as he jerked his head towards the kitchen. They both sat on the couch, and Barnaby shrugged.

"I've tutored before," he finally answered, unsure of what was the correct thing to say in this situation.

"It's not that it's… Ah, it's nothing. Listen to this old man being stupid." Kotetsu chuckled, and bumped his shoulder against Barnaby's. "You gotta learn to shut me up, kid!"

"Please. No one one Earth could make you shut your mouth."

"I don't suppose you're _wrong_ ," Kotetsu laughed. His shoulder was still up against Barnaby's, and his face was unbearably close. "But ya love me."

"Yes."

Barnaby said it without thinking, and felt his cheeks burn as he sharply turned his head away. Kotetsu seemed stunned into silence.

"Don't go letting it get to you, though, old man." Barnaby snapped.

"Oi, oi," Kotetsu clucked, and Barnaby slowly looked back at him. He saw white teeth, and the most goofy, pleased expression. "Bunny _looooves_ me!"

"I'm going to kill you."

"Not yet," Kotetsu prodded Barnaby's shoulder with his finger. "Your tattoo hasn't healed up yet." He beamed, clearly proud of the logic he'd used.

"Fine. You live, only because you're useful."

"And because you _loooooooooooove_ me," Kotetsu crooned.

"Dad! Keep it down!" Kaede hollered from the kitchen.

"Sorry, baby!" Kotetsu called. "Just celebrating the fact that Bunny admitted his love for me!"

"No, duh!" Kaede shouted. "It's kind of obvious!"

Barnaby pinched the bridge of his nose, and wondered if Kaede was possibly cottoning on to his feelings for her father. And what she would possibly think about something so stupid.

"So…" Kotetsu leaned forward, and pressed his elbows to his knees. "Personal stuff, huh? That a nice way of sayin' you don't wanna hang out with us?" He didn't sound accusatory, and even had a rather blithe smile on his face, but Barnaby still felt a stab of guilt.

"It's not that, Kotetsu…" Barnaby stumbled over his words. He wanted desperately to tell the truth. To just blurt out that he had a crush on Kotetsu, but that he had no intentions of acting on it, and if Kotetsu would just please tell him that he was straight and set him right, all would be well in the world… He sighed.

"Hey, I was only joking," Kotetsu said kindly. He wrapped a comforting arm around Barnaby's shoulders, and pulled him into a rough embrace. "Relax, kid."

"Right." Barnaby sat with his hands clenched against his thighs, and tried not to think about how wonderful this was. The rest of the night passed normally, and Barnaby recognized that it was due to Kotetsu's dutiful attempts to keep him comfortable.

In an effort to pay him back, over lunch, Barnaby propositioned returning to Kotetsu's house that evening.

"You offered to take care of my tattoo," Barnaby explained, "and I looked up some useful tips for getting rid of cigarette and old alcohol smells." He kept his voice down, so that Antonio and Nathan would remain absorbed in their own conversation.

"Ah - you don't have to do that, Bunny!" Kotetsu waved a hand quickly in front of his face. "That's asking too much!"

"It seemed like the smell bothered you," Barnaby pointed out. "Why not fix it together?" He shook his curls back from his face, and tried to look as if helping Kotetsu was inconsequential to his life. Kotetsu relented, however, and Barnaby showed up after some shopping with a bucket of cleaning supplies in his hands.

Barnaby decided it was… fun. Kotetsu had a rather large stereo system, and the two constantly warred back and forth on what music to play. While the other was preoccupied shaking out an odor eliminator, or rubbing vinegar on a mirror, the other would creep back into the living room to change the music.

Barnaby also kept fighting to maintain a good work ethic from Kotetsu. At one point, he rounded the corner to go get the solution for the steam cleaner he'd found at the back of Kotetsu's closet, when he'd found the man crouched down, drinking a soda as he played on his phone.

"Ah! So scary and cute! A paradox!" Kotetsu cried. He'd hastily snapped a picture, and Barnaby had a brief glimpse of his own outraged face, sloppy ponytail, and ridiculously big latex gloves.

"Be serious, old man," Barnaby snapped, his foot already tapping against the carpet in agitation.

"Right, right," Kotetsu groaned. "With you putting in so much work, I've gotta be better!"

Barnaby shampooed the carpets and, as retribution, order Kotetsu to hand scrub some of the parts that still had the lingering scent of alcohol. Barnaby worked his way upstairs, and was told by Kotetsu to feel free to clean his bedroom.

Barnaby entered, and was satisfied to see that it wasn't too messy. It was within the realm of plausibility for someone like Kotetsu. There was no food, and no stains, which Barnaby could only count as a success. He began scrubbing at the walls, and worked his way towards the center of the room, attempting to ignore the loud sounds of Guns 'n Roses ( he'd learned the name of the band through car rides with Kotetsu) and the subsequent loud caterwauling that was the older man's attempts to sing along. He smiled to himself, and shifted to the side. The toe of his boot caught on something, and a magazine spiraled a few inches from his foot. He glanced down, and immediately wished he hadn't.

Staring back up at him was a blonde woman in lingerie, with curly blonde hair and glasses framing her face. Barnaby crouched down, and peered at the page. It was confirmation, he supposed, that Kotetsu was straight. But - the entire magazine was of this particular model, and Barnaby faced the unfortunate realization that he was _almost_ Kotetsu's type.

That hurt, but he dampened it by reminding himself that he was lucky to have a friend, regardless of whatever else occured. Opting to return to ignoring the magazines existence, he continued working diligently on cleaning the walls. He heard the start of a jazz number filter up the staircase, and he found it easy to work to.

He maneuvered around posters tacked to the wall, and dozens of photos of Kaede that were haphazardly stuck up with tape. Concert tickets, pictures of tattoos, and other memorabilia were peppered about. Barnaby tutted, and tried to clean underneath them as best he could.

He stopped short, however, as he reached a familiar photo.

Barnaby stared at his own face, with an ice cream cone in hand. He recognized it as the picture that Nathan had taken. He realized that there were pictures of both Antonio and Nathan as well, and Barnaby felt a rush of warmth in his chest. He clutched at the rag in his hand, and quickly finished his work.

He made his way back down the stairs, and heard Frank Sinatra pouring out of the speaker. He saw Kotetsu scrubbing at the carpet, but the older man stopped at the sight of Barnaby.

"Ah, Bunny! I feel so young when I listen to this music!" Kotetsu cheesed at him as he drew closer. He'd left his bucket and rag on the ground, in favor of grasping Barnaby's hand and waist. Barnaby was startled, but Kotetsu swung him around, his off-key voicing blaring the words to Barnaby. " _So deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me,_ _I've got you under my skin_ ," he crooned. His large smile took up all of Barnaby's vision, as he was forced to swirl clumsily in place.

"Old man," Barnaby rolled his eyes. He realized how stupid they looked - both of them sweaty, and with giant gloves pulled up to their elbows. But even so… Barnaby realized how happy he was to have Kotetsu's hand resting by his hip, and he loved the way Kotetsu's face became his sky. There was nowhere else to look, and Barnaby relished in it.

He finally let himself relax, and tipped his head back to laugh. When he lowered his gaze, Kotetsu spoke.

"What d'you think the chances are of Nathan playing some music like this at his party are? To humor an old man?"

"I think you could butter him up," Barnaby smiled.

"Eh? Sure you couldn't do it for me," Kotetsu fluttered his eyelashes, " _Handsome_?"

"Ugh. Let it go, gramps. I didn't pick the nickname." They continued to slowly shuffle across the carpet.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure you're not complaining, though!"

"Jealous that no one calls you handsome?"

"Oi! I don't like that predator grin ya got! And I'm fine not bein' handsome!" Kotetsu clucked his tongue. "That's for you young folks. Either way, Nathan likes to play stuff I've never heard of. Think he does it on purpose."

"Perhaps." Barnaby chuckled. "It does seem like something he'd do." The song flipped over, and _Day by day I'm falling more in love with you / And day by day my love seems to grow_ rolled from the speakers. Barnaby realized he hadn't even attempted to change the music. Their movements slowed, and his hands squeaked as Kotetsu's grip tightened, their gloves in the way.

"Hey, Bunny…" Kotetsu's voice was oddly quiet. "I hate these stupid parties that Nathan throws but - I'm glad you'll be there to suffer with me."

"I'm not fond of parties myself," Barnaby murmured. "Last time I went to one I walked away with a tattoo."

"And now you've got a kickass pheonix."

"Right…" He inclined his head in agreement.

"Oh." Kotetsu seemed to break whatever had come over them, as he released Barnaby. "Duh! We oughtta fix the wrap on that!" He knocked his knuckles against his forehead, before rushing out of the room, and left Barnaby feeling exceedingly confused.

"Did something happen between you and Tiger-honey?" Nathan sat on the edge of Barnaby's desk, deftly avoiding the so dubbed Mountain of Suffering that Barnaby was still churning through. Barnaby's pen paused, and he slowly looked to Nathan, undeterred by the amount of glitter that greeted him.

"Define 'something'. I'm certain the answer is no." Barnaby didn't suppose dancing in the living room counted for much. After all, Kotetsu was often rather spontaneous when listening to music, and felt the need to attempt to drag Barnaby into many a guitar-solo, and sometimes a sax-solo, which was much more aggressive and much less impressive. Of course, those weren't quite the same as last night, but… surely Kotetsu wouldn't have made such a big deal out of something like that.

Nathan pursed his lips, and glowered down at Barnaby. "Really?"

"All that we did was clean his house." Barnaby had texted Kotetsu in the morning, to ask how their hard work had paid off. Kotetsu had assured him that he'd aired out the room, and sent many thanks to Barnaby - apparently the apartment smelled much better.

"Hm. I guess…"

"Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, darling… just that you keep smiling to yourself." Nathan smirked, and Barnaby schooled his face back into a practiced blank expression. Then, he looked around, and was satisfied that no coworkers lingered in the area.

"Fine…" Barnaby muttered. He'd promised himself to be more open with Nathan. To take the metaphorical fig leaf. "We cleaned his house, and we danced a little bit. Nothing spectacular, just my own delusions." He pressed his lips together, and fought back the smile that had almost arisen at the thought of their sad little twirls together.

"You _danced_?" Nathan said incredulously, keeping his voice low to match Barnaby's. "I've never seen Kotetsu dance! Even at my parties - he just sits like a sad lump and nurses a cup." He fanned pink nails across his dark cheeks. "My, oh my!"

"It's nothing," Barnaby insisted. "I might also add that I received confirmation that I am most certainly not Kotetsu's type." He made a meaningful face, and Nathan pursed his lips.

"Oh, honey… I'm sorry. What confirmation?"

"A magazine," Barnaby replied quietly.

Nathan frowned. "Well, that doesn't mean anything… oh." He realized, and his brows arched at the implications. "That's not set in stone."

"It's all right," Barnaby cut in. "It makes things easier."

"Right…" Nathan gave him a comforting pat. "You are handling it remarkably well."

Barnaby shrugged, and scribbled more on the forms in front of him. "And how are things on your end?"

"I've put an embargo on my goods," Nathan replied. "And by that I of course do not only mean that in the vulgar sense. We'll see…"

"Right."

Nathan left, and lunch came. He ate with Kotetsu, and laughed with his friends. In the middle of lunch, Kotetsu video chatted with Kaede, who was apparently out of school for the holidays. She happily greeted all of them, and especially Barnaby. She made sure to show him the decorations she and her grandmother were hanging. Anju made sure to chastise Barnaby for not giving a definitive answer to their invitation to Christmas.

"I've got to get some meat on those bones," Anju insisted.

"He's fine the way he is!" Kaede protested. "Dad always talks about how cute he is!"

Kotetsu grinned unabashedly. "That's right, ma! But he can definitely do with some of your home cooking."

"Thanks for inviting us!" Nathan harrumphed, after Kotetsu had hung up. Barnaby was startled - he hadn't realized that they hadn't also been invited.

"Eh? I figured you'd want to spend Christmas with your family - or someone important to you," Kotetsu said meaningfully. Antonio shifted in his seat, and Barnaby heard it squeak dangerously beneath the large man.

"Oh, shush," Nathan huffed. "You just wanted to spend Christmas alone with Handsome. Why deny it?" An accusatory finger was levied at Kotetsu's nose.

"Aiya! Fine!" Kotetsu smacked away Nathan's finger, and ignored the indignant cry from the other man. "Maybe I did!"

Barnaby pushed his glasses sharply up. "Kotetsu, there's no reason to say inane things."

"Eh?"

"I'm going because Kaede invited me. It wasn't Kotetsu at all." Barnaby ignored Kotetsu's confusion, as he saw that Nathan visibly deflated.

"Damn, that's not as fun! But, ah well. Kaede really has taken a liking to you, huh?"

"She's a wonderful child," Barnaby said, with a sly smile directed at Kotetsu.

After lunch, Kotetsu cornered Barnaby before he could head back up.

"Why'd you make it sound like it was just Kaede that wanted you there?" Kotetsu demanded.

"Please - I was saving both of us the heckling that was soon to follow," Barnaby explained. He trashed his salad container, and tucked his curls back behind his ear. "This way we don't have to be harrassed. The correct thing to say at this moment would be _thank-you_. Wasn't your generation raised with manners?"

"You cocky little… oi." Kotetsu's lips curled into a ludicrous smile. "Back there - you said you were coming. Not just that you were invited, but that you were coming!"

"Oh…" Barnaby frowned. He hesitated, and slid his tongue against his teeth (that were too large, he remembered Kotetsu saying). "I suppose I am," he conceded.

Kotetsu whooped, and hugged Barnaby. "Aw man, Kaede's gonna be so happy! _I'm_ happy, Bunny." He looked at Barnaby with such big, sincere eyes, that Barnaby could feel the joy from the other man. "We just gotta weather Nathan's party together."

"An arduous challenge."

Barnaby straightened his tie, and smoothed down his red dress shirt. He fluffed out his curls, and decided that he was ready.

"Are you almost done, old man?" Barnaby called. Kotetsu had come to Barnaby's house to get ready, so that they could carpool together. They both had bags stacked up by the front door, ready to cart out so they could leave the moment Nathan's party was over. Anju lived almost an hour outside of the city, and they didn't want to waste more time driving back to either of their apartments post-party.

"I'm done!" Kotetsu called from the bathroom. He came down the hall, just as Barnaby exited his bedroom. He took a critical look at Kotetsu - the man's too tall frame looked exceedingly uncomfortable in the tight brown jacket he'd crammed himself into. Underneath he wore a nice green dress shirt, tucked into black slacks.

Barnaby clucked his tongue, and strode over. He grabbed at the lapels of the jacket, and gave them a pointed tug.

"Ditch the jacket - you look like a mole."

"It doesn't look that bad!" Kotetsu protested as he shucked it off. He tossed it over the back of Barnaby's chair.

"It was terrible," Barnaby said simply. He brushed at Kotetsu's shoulders, and fought to straighten out some of the wrinkles that Kotetsu had already developed. "You're impossible." He gave up with an exasperated sigh, and stooped to pick up his bags. "Come on, let's go."

Kotetsu said something in his high pitched mimicry, but Barnaby ignored him, as he let the door swing sharply into Kotetsu's nose.

They threw their bags in the car, and Barnaby drove them to Nathan's rather large and impressive manor. Barnaby had been to several parties - almost always in an attempt to job scout. He had, of course, stopped going ever since Nathan had hired him on at Helios - and none of the parties he'd ever attended were on the scale of Nathan's.

As they pulled up, there were several signs, instructing Barnaby where to go. He followed them, all leading up to a valet driver, who quickly took over, leaving Kotetsu and Barnaby standing in the cold in front of a rather impressive set of stairs. Other party guests were already clambering up them, and Kotetsu took it all in stride.

"Nathan's a bit ridiculous, eh?" Kotetsu beamed. Barnaby followed behind the older man, and saw that Nathan's flare for the dramatic carried over to his house. Topiary statues lined the edge of the stairs, and Barnaby could tell there was a garden growing just beyond their impressive stature. The manor itself loomed high into the night sky, and was a sparkling white, with large, ornate windows that showed beautiful rooms with partygoers already milling about.

"Even Maverick's house wasn't this ridiculous," Barnaby said, more to himself - but he caught Kotetsu smiling. They finally reached the front, where two large double doors were being manned by workers. They checked their IDs, before the doors were opened wide, and a rush of warmth washed over their cold cheeks.

Inside was just as beautiful, and Kotetsu led Barnaby with practiced ease into the "dining room", which was apparently shifted into a dance-and-greet area during parties.

"Down here's impressive," Kotetsu snorted, as he and Barnaby moved into the crowded room, where music played overhead, "but upstairs, it's all plush carpet, and cheap knick knacks he likes. Oo! Food!" Kotetsu crab-walked sideways through the wall of people to where a table was laid out, with food covering every inch of it. He eagerly started grabbing up appetizers.

Barnaby frowned, but was distracted as the music cut off, and he realized why. Their host had just appeared in the room, and Barnaby had to admit that he looked resplendent. Nathan swept into the room, with a long, flowing, pink dress. It tumbled into a flaming red at the edges, where it practically floated across the floor. The sweetheart neckline dipped low, and Nathan wore a beautiful pearl necklace that matched his perfectly applied makeup.

Nathan paused, basked in the attention, and then snapped his manicured fingers. The music returned, and Barnaby was saved having to hear the noises of Kotetsu stuffing his face. Having spotted him, Nathan mosied over, a beatific smile on his face.

"Hello there, Handsome!" Nathan greeted. "White's a lovely color on you and - ah! Kotetsu's not wearing that hideous brown jacket? Do I have you to thank for that?"

"He wears it often?" Barnaby asked in disdain.

"Everytime there's a nice function," Nathan answered, looking just as distraught as Barnaby. "Well, I must do my rounds - you'll see others from the office here."

"Including Antonio?"

"Maybe," Nathan replied cryptically. Then he was gone.

Kotetsu reappeared at Barnaby's elbow, with a punch glass in hand. "Thirsty?"

Barnaby took the proffered drink, and allocated himself close to a wall. Without the prospect of employment, he didn't feel as compelled to interact with people. Kotetsu stood with him, bouncing in time to the music, and tapping his foot.

"Have the urge to dance, old man?" Barnaby asked archly.

"Eh? Naw. Just hate sitting still!" Kotetsu knocked back his punch. A few people came up to talk to Kotetsu, as apparently he'd given several of the party goers tattoos. Barnaby listened to each of them, and actually found himself excited to see more of Kotetsu's artwork. He managed to contain himself, but eyed each and every new tattoo with interest.

A young man walked up to them, and greeted them.

"Did Kotetsu do your tattoo as well?" Barnaby asked, as Kotetsu was still talking to an older woman who had come up to ask about his hours. The man had a rather beautiful koi pond that spilled across his forearm, and matched his dark blue suit and white vest nicely.

"No, I'm afraid not. Though, I've heard many good things about him. No, this tattoo was done down in New Orleans - on a vacation several years back," the man explained. Barnaby gave a slow nod, and tried to find some fault with the tattoo, but he couldn't. It irritated him for some reason. "Nice to meet you, though. My name's Isaac." He smiled, and extended his hand.

"Likewise. I'm Barnaby," he shook hands with Isaac, who suddenly looked bashful.

"Yeah, I've actually heard about you from Nathan," Isaac chuckled. He rubbed at the back of his head, and gave a lopsided smile. "He holds you in high regard."

"Really?" Barnaby said. He frowned in thought. He'd never heard of Isaac before. "How are you acquainted with Nathan?"

"Well," Isaac held his hand out once more, "how about a dance? We can talk some more."

Barnaby glanced towards Kotetsu, unsure of what he wanted to see. The older man was gesticulating a lot, and telling some sort of a joke to the older woman, and her husband who had joined her. Barnaby sighed, and gently reprimanded himself. He set his drink cup down on a nearby table. He ignored Isaac's hand, but followed him to the dance floor.

He allowed Isaac to place hesitant hands on his shoulder, and watched as the man shuffled awkwardly in place.

"Right… You wanted to know how I knew Nathan. Well, I work as a manager at the Fuzzy Navel. Horrible name - trust me, I know - but it's a high end gay bar. It's pretty sweet, if not for the unfortunate name," Isaac laughed.

Barnaby closed his eyes and exhaled, as he realized what was happening. "Let me guess… Nathan told you I was a single and gay?"

"A-Are you not?" Isaac faltered, but didn't pull away. "If not, I'm really sorry. I hope I didn't come on strong!" His blue eyes darted nervously around Barnaby's face.

"No… I am." Barnaby furrowed his brow. "I'm just not really interested in dating."

"I'm so sorry," Isaac said. He looked legitimately distraught. "I can leave you alone, if you'd like?"

Barnaby hesitated. "There's no harm in finishing the song," he said slowly. "It'll look quite bad if we break off now, and I believe there's another man who's quite interested you."

Isaac went to turn around, but Barnaby tightened his grip on Isaac's hips.

"Don't look so suddenly," he instructed. "We'll finish this dance, I'll laugh, and you'll look like a good time."

"U-uh… okay?" Isaac said, confused.

"You're a friend of Nathan's," Barnaby said simply. "I owe him a lot." Then he tipped his head back, and gave a silvery laugh. He kept up a sweet smile on his face.

Isaac stared, a bit befuddled. "It's a shame - that you're not interested in dating, I mean. You're gorgeous."

Barnaby patiently kept his smile up. "You're attractive as well, and I'm sure that man will enjoy your company." The song rolled to a close, and Barnaby let loose another laugh, before waving good-bye to Isaac. He then turned back to where Kotetsu was standing, now alone.

"Welcome back, Bunny!" Kotetsu greeted, as he raised his glass. He waggled his eyebrows. "Havin' fun?"

"Quite."

"Don't lie." Kotetsu bumped Barnaby with his elbow. Barnaby gave him a confused look. "Aw, c'mon? You think I wouldn't notice a fake smile on that cute lil' face of yours? Try again, bucko!"

Barnaby felt hopelessly, stupidly, in love.

He tucked his curls behind his ears. "I was merely being polite."

"Ahh - that kid interested in you?"

Barnaby watched idly as Isaac made his way to the man Barnaby had pointed out for him. "I suppose."

Kotetsu squinted. "Is he attractive?"

"You're asking?" Barnaby snorted.

"Well, I mean - I'm not the best judge for what you young 'uns are into!"

Barnaby compressed his lips. "Right… well, he _is_ attractive."

"Well… hey!" Kotetsu paused, and tilted his ear up to the ceiling. "Listen! Sinatra! Nathan finally listened to my suggestions!" He gave a fist pump, and cast his drink to the side. Barnaby recognized it as the song they'd danced to in Kotetsu's living room. "C'mon!" Kotetsu grabbed his hand, and pulled him onto the floor.

Barnaby attempted to appear graceful, all while he was being pulled along. Just like the previous night, Kotetsu moved his hands to Barnaby's hips, and Barnaby let his hands land lightly across Kotetsu's shoulders. He was honestly surprised that Kotetsu would want to dance with him - spontaneous stupidity while they were alone was quite different.

"So, that kid's not your type," Kotetsu said conversationally, "what is?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Sure it does!"

"Kotetsu…" Barnaby broke off. The older man was staring at him with intensity, and he could sense that this was going to get him nowhere. "Fine. I'd," he said slowly, carefully, "want someone older."

"What for?" Kotetsu scoffed.

"You asked me my type," Barnaby snapped, "so I'm saying it. Isaac's blonde, but I prefer brunette's…"

Kotetsu cast a glance around the room. "What about… him?"

"Rather pale, isn't he?"

"Ok… that guy?"

"Bit too old."

"Him…?"

"Bit too muscular."

"You're picky!" Kotetsu huffed.

"I suppose," Barnaby inclined his head. "But I can't help what I'm attracted to."

"Guess not," Kotetsu agreed. "Ah, damn. Guess I shouldn'tve invited you to dance. You're supposed to be making the rounds!"

"I told you, I'm not all that interested." Barnaby pushed forward, just a bit. His face drew closer to Kotetsu, and he adjusted to where his elbows now rested lightly across Kotetsu's shoulders.

"Bu _nny_ \- ,"

"I just want to enjoy this party with my best friend," Barnaby said quietly. Kotetsu's jaw clicked shut, and he stared up into Barnaby's eyes. They were rather close to one another, and he realized that Kotetsu had stopped moving. The dark hands holding onto his hips were the only thing anchoring him.

Kotetsu worked his mouth for a moment, before he spoke. "I love you, Bunny."

Barnaby's words caught in the back of his throat, but he gave a sharp nod. "Of course." A few couples bumped elbows with them, and jostled them back into movement. Kotetsu slipped easily back into chatter, and Barnaby followed his lead. He didn't realize that they'd danced through several songs, until Kotetsu complained he was thirsty.

Barnaby realized that he was rather breathless, and decided he could do with a drink as well. He held Kotetsu's elbow as they passed by the waiter that was serving alcoholic drinks, and they quickly made their way to the virgin options offered.

"So," Kotetsu took a hearty swig from his cup, "can you actually dance?"

"You mean, aside from slow motion twirling - yes, I can." Barnaby smirked. "Maverick had me trained, so that way when we made appearances at parties he could show it off." He realized he sounded a bit bitter, and shook his head. "It's been a while, but I still remember most of it."

"Ah… me n' Tomoe used to take dance lessons down at the rec center," Kotetsu said. "I thought I'd tell you, since I haven't gotten to showcase my skills." He pretended to brush off his shirt, and Barnaby rolled his eyes.

"You actually did get food on you, you know?" Barnaby tutted. He swiped his fingers against Kotetsu's chest, and sent loose crumbs to the ground. "You'll probably have to wet down the shirt to get rid of the rest."

"Ahh, fine!" Kotetsu gave a dramatic sigh, and pantomimed stomping off to the restroom. Barnaby laughed as he watched him go. He sat alone for a moment, until he saw Isaac approaching him once more, looking rather dejected.

"Hi again," Isaac sighed, and lifted his wine glass in greeting. "Didn't hit it off quite so well with the guy you pointed out."

"I apologize," Barnaby replied, a bit mystified as to what Isaac wanted.

"Turns out his girlfriend wasn't terribly pleased."

"Ah."

Isaac chuckled. "It's fine - it happens. Straight boys bring heartbreak."

Barnaby agreed, his mind floating back to Kotetsu. "I pointed him out, so I suppose I'm partially to blame."

"No, man! It's cool. I totally thought he was, too, y'know?" Isaac grinned, and kept talking. Barnaby idly participated, relying mostly on his instincts to get him through some of the topics. He found himself rather bored.

"So," Isaac continued, "that older guy? He a good friend of yours?"

"Yes," Barnaby said.

"Is he…?"

"No."

"Gotcha." Isaac drummed his fingers against his thigh. "It's just… well, I was wondering if you'd be up for another dance? I know you're not interested in dating but - I won't gun for that."

Barnaby pursed his lips. "I'm afraid I'm not interested."

"Right…" Isaac sighed. "Thought you looked a bit off when I mentioned the straight boys. Hit a nerve?"

Against his better judgement, Barnaby nodded.

"Hey, good luck." Isaac smiled, and patted Barnaby amicably on the shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, Barnaby watched as Kotetsu made his way back through the crowd, flapping his hands at a wet spot on his shirt. "I will say that I heard several guys talking, and I'm sure plenty of 'em will wanna dance with you."

Kotetsu approached, an interested look on his face. "Eh? Did I hear you right? People wanna dance with this cute lil' Bunny?" He gave a cheesy grin, and ignored Isaac's stupefied expression, and Barnaby's chilly demeanor. "Don't hold yourself back for this old man!"

"I don't want to dance with others," Barnaby spoke, voice clipped. "We've been over this. Surely your memory loss can't be that bad." He pushed his nose up, and sneered down at Kotetsu.

"Tch. Mean! Maybe it's for the best you don't dance with these men!" Kotetsu clucked his tongue, and crossed his arms. "I'm the only one willing to put up with this abuse!"

Isaac smiled. "Man, it's a shame about that one, isn't it?" He nodded his head towards Kotetsu, and Barnaby gave a true laugh. Isaac flushed.

"I suppose it is," Barnaby said, ignoring Kotetsu's protestations. "But I've prepared myself for it."

"If you ever change your mind," Isaac extended his hand. "You know where I work, and Nathan can always give you my number."

"I thank you for the offer." Barnaby returned the handshake. It felt like making a business deal. He and Kotetsu said good-bye to Isaac, and watched as the man melted back into the crowd.

After Isaac, it seemed that several other men had garnered up the courage to come and talk to Barnaby. Whatever invisible wall he had built around him seemed to have disappeared at the first sign of amicability. Barnaby was quite thankful that he was good at pretending, as he managed to field off several requests, and ignore Kotetsu's encouragements.

As he turned down the last one, Barnaby saw a familiar figure - looking particularly large and out of place. He nudged Kotetsu, who turned quickly. They both saw Antonio awkwardly hunched up against a wall, a drink in his hand that he held far too tightly to be natural.

Barnaby wound his fingers around Kotetsu's bicep, and the two pushed their way to Antonio. When they reached him, Antonio leveled a pointed glare over his drink, as he pinioned them down into the tile.

"I'm not interested in whatever it is you two want." As he spoke, Antonio's gaze drifted up, where Barnaby could see the flaming end of Nathan's dress sweeping along the floor, a stranger holding him.

"C'mon, man. You really gonna make yourself miserable like this?" Kotetsu said, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not miserable."

"You look pretty depressing," Barnaby countered. "And your eyes can't seem to focus."

Antonio snorted, and knocked his drink back. "Kid, I wouldn't even start. I know what's been going on in your head since day one."

Barnaby clicked his mouth shut, and settled on a frosty glare over the top of his glasses.

"We're just looking out for you," Kotetsu persisted. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't care about Nathan."

Antonio softened around the edges - barely perceptible. He watched Nathan's every move. "Listen… it was easy for you. For me… I can't seem to accept it."

Barnaby frowned, but Kotetsu didn't seem deterred. "There's nothing to accept," his tone became chastising. "You want to be with Nathan. Stop being an idiot. I've been telling you this for as long as you two have been together." Antonio looked ready to argue, but Barnaby cut in.

"Antonio, I can tell you… it hurts a lot to have feelings for someone who is incapable of returning them." He pushed at the bridge of his glasses, and stared meaningfully at the older man. "I can tell you that Nathan's been… incredibly disheartened by all of this. If you continue on this path, he is going to find someone else eventually. And where will that leave you?"

Antonio grimaced, but nodded. He stood, and clapped his hand onto Barnaby's shoulder. "Thanks, kid. And… sorry for the low blow."

Barnaby wavered underneath Antonio's forceful friendship, but nodded. "Of course."

"But… I don't know what I can do now…"

"I have the perfect song!" Kotetsu snapped his fingers.

"Aw, Tiger, your music sucks - ," Antonio was cut off as Kotetsu rushed to the DJ. "What the hell is he doing?"

"Helping a friend," Barnaby said quietly. "Or, two friends, I should say."

"Yeah… He's an idiot, but he's a caring one."

Kotetsu scurried back over. "After this song is over, get ready!" He prodded at Antonio's arm. "Go on." He successfully spurred a reluctant Antonio into motion, and they watched the large man wade through the crowd. He kept a bit of distance from Nathan, riding out the last bit of the music, before the next one started.

"What do you have planned, old man?" Barnaby asked, before Kotetsu chuckled, and scooped up Barnaby's hands.

"Aw, nothin' too bad. They both need this - trust me." Kotetsu pulled Barnaby into a dance, making sure that the two of them could still keep an eye on Antonio's bumbling form. "I've been trying forever to get Antonio to just get over the fact that he's interested in Nathan."

The song that Kotetsu chose began, and a heavy drumbeat started, with a low hum. Antonio made his way up to Nathan, and Barnaby could see that he was nervously asking for a dance, as an astonished Nathan agreed.

 _I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight_

 _I've never seen you shine so bright_

 _I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance_

Kotetsu smiled, and held Barnaby close. He took a few experimental steps with a bit of flourish, and Barnaby followed suit.

"The song certainly fits Nathan," Barnaby said.

"And you," Kotetsu chuckled, as he spun them around rather sharply.

 _The lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek_

 _There's nobody here, it's just you and me_

"Last I checked I'm not a lady," Barnaby said dryly.

"You're just as pretty, though," Kotetsu shoved out his tongue, and Barnaby rolled his eyes. When they circled again, Barnaby saw a teary-eyed Nathan with his arms tight around Antonio's shoulders. Antonio held onto Nathan with an emotion that almost seemed to be fear.

 _I've never seen you shine so bright, you were amazing_

 _I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side_

 _And when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away_

"I hope this helps Antonio come to terms with himself," Barnaby muttered, as he lowered his lashes. "It can be a hard road."

"It was for me," Kotetsu chuckled. "Antonio said it was easy - but I definitely struggled."

Barnaby froze, mid-dance, and caused Kotetsu to jerk in surprise.

"Eh? Bunny?"

"What… what do you mean?" Barnaby blinked rapidly, attempting to process… well, everything.

"I uh - well." Kotetsu released Barnaby, and rubbed at the back of his head. "I'm bi."

Barnaby stared at the ground, stupefied.

"That's - that's not a problem, right?" Kotetsu asked. He frowned, and let his right hand hover against the back of his scalp. "I mean - you're… y'know?" He motioned with his free hand at Barnaby. "I promise I'm not some creepy old man that's after you. I legitimately count you as a friend."

Barnaby pressed his lips into a thin line, as he realized he was dangerously close to crying. The one thing - _the one thing_ \- that had kept his sanity even slightly in check was the fact that Kotetsu was straight. But now he knew Kotetsu _wasn't_. And, better yet, the older man felt the need to assure him that he wouldn't be interested in Barnaby.

 _I never will forget the way you look tonight_

 _The lady in red, the lady in red_

 _The lady in red, my lady in red_

 _I love you_

"Everything is fine," Barnaby said, slowly. "It just caught me off guard, is all."

"Ah!" Kotetsu laughed, care-free. "Well, I definitely prefer women, y'know? And I haven't exactly dated since… since Tomoe's passing. But uh, yeah. At some point I realized I found men attractive."

Barnaby pressed his tongue against the inside of his teeth, and nodded. "Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to tell me," he said, unsure of what else to do. He pushed his hair behind his ears, and let his fingers drop a bit slower than normal through his curls. "Excuse me, but I have to use the bathroom."

He walked towards the bathroom rather quickly, and hurriedly shut the door. He locked it, and stared himself down in the mirror. He berated himself for the tears that he could still feel stinging his eyes, as he attempted to reign himself back in. A knock on the door distracted him, and he prayed to anything that it wasn't Kotetsu.

He opened the door to a rather surprised Isaac. "Uh - sorry. I didn't realize… have you been crying?"

Barnaby cursed, and closed his eyes to alleviate the pressure and evidence. "No," he lied openly.

Isaac sighed, and pushed Barnaby's shoulder out of the way, and shut the door behind him. "Straight boy?"

"He's apparently not straight," Barnaby said idly. He had regained control of his emotions, and thus perched himself on the sink counter, and attempted to look as dignified as he could.

"Ouch. So - you thought he was straight, but just got your heart broke because he still doesn't like you?" Isaac tilted his head. Barnaby licked his lips.

"I suppose that's the gist of it."

Isaac let out a sympathetic hiss of breath, and plopped down on the toilet seat. "Damn… That's a heavy blow."

Barnaby didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, he straightened out his slacks, and shook his hair back.

"He assured me," Barnaby said after a few ticks of silence, "that he wasn't creepy, and that I was a great friend." He tried to purge the bitterness from his voice. "All while dancing to a romantic song that he said was perfect for me."

Because… if Barnaby were being honest with himself, the moment Kotetsu admitted to being bi, his mind had run rampant. He'd begun to overanalyze their every interaction together. He thought about how he and Kotetsu spent more time together than any of the friends, how they'd danced together, how they'd spent many nights together on Barnaby's floor, or all the visits with Kaede.

He pressed his lips into a thin line, and was horrified when a sob came out. He hurriedly pressed his fists to his eyes, and felt burning hot embarrassment course through him. For being so stupid as to think that Kotetsu was interested in him, for crying in front of Isaac, and for crying at all.

"Oh, shit!" Isaac hurriedly shot up from his position, and plucked Barnaby's glasses off of his face. As Barnaby protested, Isaac slung an arm around Barnaby's shoulders. "Relax. You think I haven't dealt with crying twinks before?"

Barnaby snarled up his nose at that, and Isaac laughed. "See - better already." He reached around Barnaby to grab at a rag, wet it, and then pressed the cold edge to Barnaby's eye. "Here, relax. We'll get rid of the puffiness, so that way your friend doesn't know you're in here crying."

Barnaby breathed out. "This is stupid," he mumbled to himself. "I'm in the bathroom crying over a crush at a friend's party. It's like goddamn middle school all over again - except I don't have the excuse of being thirteen and in the closet."

"Well, you seem to really like this guy. I'd call it more than a crush," Isaac said. He switched the rag to Barnaby's other eye, and Barnaby welcomed the coolness.

"Thank you…" he said.

Isaac shrugged. "It's no big deal, I promise. I couldn't leave someone upset and crying - it's so wrong." He set down the rag, and patted Barnaby on the thigh. "Perk up, dude. If not him - someone else, eventually. I know it's hard for us. Small dating pool and all, but… it can happen."

Barnaby gave a slow nod, just as the doorknob rattled. He opened his mouth to say something, but was startled to hear Kotetsu.

"Oi, Bunny! You still in there?"

"Yes," Barnaby called back, and hurriedly checked his face in the mirror. Isaac gave him a knowing smirk, which Barnaby shooed away. He was satisfied with the fact that he had no puffy eyes, or blotchy cheeks.

"You alright in there?"

"I'm fine," Barnaby said back, as Isaac nodded at the door with a questioning look. "Go ahead."

Isaac swung the bathroom door open, and Kotetsu stood in the doorway, looking a bit embarrassed as he swung his head back and forth between Isaac and Barnaby.

"Ah - uh - um - sorry, Bunny," Kotetsu flushed, as he scratched the back of his hand. "Didn't know you were uh…"

"We weren't," Isaac interjected, before Barnaby could speak. "Barnaby just had some personal issues going on, and he needed someone to talk to." He waved. "Remember that rag trick, okay? There's not always gonna be a bartender present."

Barnaby watched him move around Kotetsu, and tried to figure out what emotion was on the older man's face. Kotetsu finally seemed to regain himself, however, as he gave an easy laugh.

"I thought you had diarrhea or something. But - hey - y'know if you're having problems, you could talk to me… is this the same thing that was upsetting you when you talked to Kaede?" Kotetsu's smile turned a bit sour, and Barnaby was caught a bit off guard that Kotetsu even remembered Barnaby saying that.

"I'm afraid this problem is a bit private," Barnaby said slowly.

"So you told someone you just met at a party…?" Kotetsu tilted his head.

Barnaby flushed. "I - ,"

"It's not a big deal, Bunny," Kotetsu said. He attempted to keep levity in his voice, but Barnaby could hear the underlying _tone_ that permeated his words. "Don't worry about it."

"Kotetsu, wait - ,"

The older man went to leave, but Barnaby jumped up from the sink. He grabbed Kotetsu's elbow, and shut the bathroom door, the noise of the party dying behind it. He steadied himself, and tried to gather every ounce of strength he could muster.

"Bunny, what the hell - ,"

He thought of Nathan and Antonio, and realized he needed to get closure. That dragging himself along desperately after Kotetsu would do nothing but hurt him, and hamper Kotetsu.

"Listen, old man," Barnaby bit out, not meeting Kotetsu's eyes, "because I'm only going to say this once. I have feelings for you." He said it harshly, as if it were an insult, desperately wanting the words out of him. He'd wanted to do this - but never in reality, and certainly never in a bathroom.

Kotetsu blinked, mystified. "Duh, Bunny. We're best friends."

Barnaby stared tragically down at Kotetsu. " _No_. Romantic feelings, Kotetsu." He verbally punched the air, and waited as Kotetsu took in the words. At first, Kotetsu seemed awestruck, then thoughtful, before finally settling on embarrassment. His dark face flushed, and he placed a hand over his mouth, but said nothing.

Barnaby wanted to heave, and ignored the fact that he could already feel the tears burning once more. He wished Kotetsu would reject him properly already, so that way the older man could leave him in peace to wallow.

After another minute of silence, Barnaby grew impatient. "Well?" he snapped, as he crossed his arms defensively across his chest.

Kotetsu slowly removed his hand, before sliding it into his pockets. "Ah… it's just… I don't really know how to respond, Bunny."

"Right." Barnaby said flatly. "You could say 'no thank-you, I don't feel the same way', and then we can both leave this bathroom," he suggested, voice waspish as his gaze rolled to the doorknob.

Kotetsu frowned. "What?"

"It's not that hard," Barnaby snipped.

Kotetsu shook his head. "I meant… why the hell would I say that I - listen, Bunny. It's…" He sighed, and moved past Barnaby to sit on the toilet seat. Barnaby felt uncertainty at the fact that he hadn't yet received his rejection. He watched as Kotetsu sat, and cradled his head in his hands.

The silence stretched on, and Barnaby felt as if he would snap, just as Kotetsu finally spoke up. He opened and closed his mouth several times, with several false starts, as if unsure of himself.

"After we cleaned my apartment… I stopped smoking inside…" Kotetsu chuckled nervously. "And uh - I'd always change my clothes whenever I knew I'd be seeing you later, since I knew you didn't like the smell…"

Barnaby frowned. "What does this have to do with anything…?"

"I'm just saying…" Kotetsu's thumbs were pressed sharply against his tear ducts.

Barnaby blinked. Then he understood.

"I uh… if you ask me when, I couldn't answer you," Kotetsu said, his gaze staying locked on the ground, unable to look to Barnaby. "And I meant it - y'know? That I wasn't trying to be creepy or anything to ya… I do count you as my - uh - best friend."

Barnaby approached Kotetsu slowly, and knelt down in front of him. "You are my first friend," he said quietly. "And, as you point out so often, one of my only ones…"

Kotetsu grinned, but it grew weak around the edges. "Ah… shit, Bunny. Why couldn't you have just gotten with someone younger? Do you know how much hell I've got dragging behind me?"

Barnaby pinned him with a formidable glare. "Please don't insult me, or my feelings. I'm perfectly aware of your situation. Just as you are perfectly aware of my own."

"You don't have a kid! You're young! You don't have…" Kotetsu broke off, and completely covered his face with his large hands. Beside him, Barnaby continued with his dispassionate corrections.

"What difference does you having a child make to me? I see Kaede as a wonderful young lady, who simply needs her father around a bit more to help her with her confidence," Barnaby said flatly. "And as for my age - I am completely, and legally, an adult. I can make my own decisions, I am financially sound, and am capable of acting appropriately - sometimes, more so than yourself, I might add." His tone softened, and he extended a hesitant hand out towards Kotetsu's. He pulled one of Kotetsu's hands away from his face, and intertwined their fingers. "Your wife is not a mark against you," he stared meaningfully at Kotetsu's stricken face. "I don't need you to forget her, or move on. I only ask one thing."

Kotetsu looked to him.

"Don't compare me to her." Barnaby released Kotetsu's hand, in favor of rising to his feet once more. "I never met Tomoe, but she seems like a wonderful woman. I'm sure she would appreciate having her own identity separate from mine."

Kotetsu winced, but nodded, and tears brimmed his eyes. "Bunny…"

"I don't expect this to happen quickly," Barnaby persisted. He had dreaded this moment, but now that it was here, he marshaled himself into his typical logical thought pattern. "I'm quite alright with you taking your own time. I don't need things to change. I simply wanted you to know the truth."

Kotetsu rose from the toilet, and clapped his hand roughly against Barnaby's shoulder.

"I'm willing to try this if you are, Bunny." He jutted his chin out, and at Barnaby's affirmation, he drew him into a hug.

They had hugged plenty of times before, but now Barnaby let himself actually relax into the embrace. He didn't question the motive, what it meant, if it was the universe mocking him. Instead of tensing up, and a million questions racing though his head, he was able to melt into it, his arms around Kotetsu - if a bit awkwardly.

"You've made this old man so happy," Kotetsu muttered, somewhere buried in Barnaby's curls. "As a friend or… whatever else."

Barnaby smiled.

They left the bathroom to a group of rather surly partygoers. Barnaby ducked his head and wove around them, realizing what it looked like as an ambivalent Kotetsu plodded behind him. Kotetsu had already pulled his phone, and was whistling a random tune, as he told Barnaby he was messaging Antonio, to see if he was okay.

Deciding to follow in his footsteps, Barnaby sent a text to Nathan.

' _Are you okay?'_

' _Fine, Handsome… just enjoy the party'_

Barnaby frowned.

' _I think we're about to leave. Had a confession in the bathroom.'_

He immediately got back, _'Oh! Good?'_

' _Better than I hoped'_

' _I'll message you later'_

' _Make sure to fill me in on what's happening with you'_

Nathan stopped replying after that.

"Antonio ain't replying to me!" Kotetsu huffed.

"I believe he and Nathan are currently talking," Barnaby said, as he slid his phone back into his pocket. "Come on - let's head out to your mother's. They're probably going to be gone for quite some time." Kotetsu relented, and they headed out to the car.

Barnaby followed the GPS, and relented to letting Kotetsu have control of the radio. As the roads slowly grew deserted, and buildings became sparse, Barnaby glanced out the window to the rolling night sky. Up above, he could see stars.

He jumped, startled, when he realized that Kotetsu had placed a hesitant hand on his thigh. Barnaby glanced at the older man, and saw the brief flash of a grin, before Kotetsu had once more turned back to the window. Barnaby bit back a smile, as the warmth of Kotetsu's thumb against his knee leached through him.

"You're in for a fun weekend," Kotetsu promised, turning down the radio. "Well, if you can move after ma stuffs you."

Barnaby pulled a face. "I'm not intaking too many calories. _Some_ of us have to watch our health."

"Health _shmealth_ ," Kotetsu chastised. "The hell's the point of living life if you're not eating good food?"

"My food is good," Barnaby corrected. "And I don't feel the need to slather it in basic condiments."

Kotetsu stuck his tongue out, and Barnaby shooed at him.

Kotetsu phone started to ring, and he answered it, thumb still tapping against Barnaby's leg. "Hi, Kaede," he cooed into the receiver. "Eh? We're on our way! Hey! Who taught you that word! Kae -," he broke off, and glowered mutinously down at the light of his cellphone.

Barnaby held back his laughter.

"Are we almost there?" the older man finally whined.

"You can _see_ the GPS, Kotetsu, and you _grew up_ out here. You tell me."

"Do you see any defining features?" Kotetsu gestured at the expansive fields that surrounded them.

They bickered the rest of the ride, keeping Barnaby's happy mood in tact. When they finally arrived at Kotetsu's childhood home, he saw that it was rather small, and lights winked at them from small, circular windows. The tires crunched over the rather short gravel driveway, and Barnaby saw that there was only one tiny little van.

"It's Ma's. Usually my older brother is here, too, but he got called away," Kotetsu explained. "A friend of his is pretty sick, so he's gone. Probably why Kaede was so mean - she gets nervous if Muramasa isn't home." Kotetsu clambered out of the car, and Barnaby followed suit.

As Barnaby opened the trunk to start grabbing their items, Kotetsu laid a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

"Oi, Bunny, mind if I run in ahead of you? I gotta handle something."

Barnaby squinted at him. "You're not just trying to get out of helping me carry this, are you?"

"Eh? Rude! No! I promise I'll be right back out." Kotetsu hastily scrambled backwards, and Barnaby watched him go, suspicious. He used the time to check his phone, curious about whether or not Nathan had messaged him back. His phone was still silent.

He waited outside for several minutes, before Kotetsu finally reappeared. The older man hustled over, and grabbed several of the bags.

"What was that about?"

"Ah… just… filling them in," Kotetsu said, nervously. Barnaby blinked.

"Do you mean about…?"

Kotetsu nodded.

"Right."

"Thought it would make you uncomfortable," Kotetsu admitted, with a shrug that failed miserably due to the bags he was holding.

Barnaby pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. "For once, you thinking actually paid off."

Kotetsu launched a rather unsuccessful kick at him, and Barnaby left him face down in the snow, luggage thrown all around. He walked up the creaky wooden steps, and Kaede flung the door open rather ecstatically to greet him.

Barnaby half-expected them to treat him differently, but Kaede ushered him in, and Anju appeared just behind her, lined face lit up with a smile. She was toweling her hands dry, and Barnaby saw that she must have been cooking, as both she and Kaede had flour down the front of their shirts.

"Kaede, honey, show Barnaby where to take his bags… where's that fool son of mine?" Anju huffed.

"Probably laying around," Barnaby said quickly, before following Kaede as she led him through the hall. The house was decorated rather plainly, with typical flower paintings, and old school pictures tacked up on the wall. Barnaby recognized a lot of the photos, however, from Kotetsu's apartment.

"You n' dad'll be staying in here," Kaede said, knocking open one of the doors. "And _please_ keep dad out of my room," she crossed her arms, and glared up at him. "I'm serious."

"I'll try to manage him," Barnaby promised. His smile weakened, as he saw Kaede was still looking up at him.

"I kinda had already figured it out," Kaede muttered. "It's just… a bit weird, y'know?"

"I apologize," Barnaby murmured. "Preferably, you would have been involved in the decision. It all happened rather fast."

Kaede gave a slow nod. "I know…" She bit her lip. "Jeez… I'm just glad I got over my crush on you. Anyone who likes dad is _super_ gross." She strode past him, and Barnaby felt a smile tug at his lips. He deposited his bags, just in time to hear Kotetsu stomping down the hall.

Barnaby turned, and raised an eyebrow at his sodden friend.

"I oughta return your present," Kotetsu huffed. "It was co-o-o-o-old." He gave exaggerated shivers, and dropped the luggage all around him.

"It's what you deserved," Barnaby said primly.

Kotetsu scowled. "Oh yeah?" He lunged forward, before Barnaby could react, and wrapped his soggy arm around Barnaby. Barnaby shoved, futilely, at Kotetsu's soaked chest. The older man merely clung on tighter. "What's wrong _Honey Bunny_?"

"How did you make the nickname _more_ humiliating?" Barnaby griped. "Ugh! Now get off of me! You've had your revenge!" Kotetsu relented, but for Barnaby the damage had been done. He huffed, and turned sharply for his suitcase. As he jerked it up onto the bed, he made sure every movement was deliberately angry.

"Sooorry, Bunny," Kotetsu cheesed, sounding absolutely not-sorry as he headed out the door. "I'll give ya some privacy."

Barnaby changed into a nicely-fitted pair of lounge pants, and a red t-shirt, before exiting the room and pointedly ignoring Kotetsu. He went back up the hall, and followed the sounds of dishes to where Kaede and Anju were in a flurry of movement between the kitchen and dining room. The two rooms were only separated by an old, mint green counter top that Anju had covered in food. Kaede had silverware piled up in her arms, and was scrambling around the table, making sure to place everything just right.

"Is there anything that I can help with?" Barnaby asked.

"As a matter of fact!" Anju immediately conscripted him to frosting a carrot cake - something that Kotetsu found immensely amusing whenever he finally appeared. "And where have you been?" Anju demanded.

"I was putting presents underneath the tree," Kotetsu said, and jerked out a chair to flop in it. Kaede stabbed him with a fork. "Ey!"

"Even our guest is helping out!" Kaede scolded, fists on her hips as she glowered at her father. "Don't be a lazy lump!"

"Ma doesn't like me in the kitchen," Kotetsu groaned.

"Old man, it's unlike you to be so lazy," Barnaby chided.

"Eh? Says who?"

"All the energy it takes to be in others business," Barnaby smirked, "I thought you had an infinite supply. Your mother said she wanted someone to hang decorations, why not start there?"

Anju beamed up at Barnaby. "Aiya! Finally! You're just like Tomoe!" Barnaby's stomach churned. "Someone to keep this boy in line."

"He's not like Tomoe," Kotetsu protested. "But… I suppose he does keep me in line - in his own way." Kotetsu smiled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. A rush of affection swept through Barnaby, and he gave an imperceptible nod to Kotetsu. "So - where are these decorations?"

As Anju instructed Kotetsu where some of the last minute baubles were, Barnaby realized that keeping track of Kotetsu truly was a full time job. He'd occasionally venture out of the kitchen to find Kotetsu fiddling with something, watching TV, and a couple times he'd been on his way back to Kaede's room.

"How else am I supposed to know what she's up to?" Kotetsu had protested, as Barnaby had to forcibly shove him out of the hall.

"Ask her," Barnaby said flatly.

Once Kotetsu was done decorating, it then became a matter of making sure he kept his greedy fingers out of the food they'd spent all this time preparing. As Kaede and Anju both relaxed to the couch, Barnaby made sure to check on Kotetsu - who he'd seen disappear into the kitchen.

"Aw, Bunny, you're no fun," Kotetsu complained, as Barnaby slapped his hand away from one of the cakes. "There's only gonna be us four at the Christmas party anyways! We can't eat all this in one sitting!"

"And yet I'm fairly certain you'll still try." Barnaby tilted his head. "Why not just listen to your mother?"

Kotetsu's grin was a bit wry. "Maybe I like having a bossy Bunny follow me around."

Barnaby flushed. He hadn't experienced a flirtatious Kotetsu before. He hastily tucked some of his hair behind his ear, and set his jaw. "I assure you that there are better ways to go about that then destroying your mother's hard work."

"Ahh, I get it!" Kotetsu threw his hands in the air. "I'll behave for the night!"

"I doubt it, but we'll see."

The two returned to the living room, where Kaede was eagerly bouncing along to one of the movies that she'd put in. Anju had already started to nod off, her chin touching her chest.

"Should we…" Barnaby motioned at her.

"Nah, if you try to wake her up, she'll just say she was 'resting her eyes'." Kotetsu put up quotations marks. "She'll go to bed whenever the movie goes off." They settled onto the couch, and Barnaby was startled whenever Kotetsu rested his arm across the back of the couch, his fingertips brushing against Barnaby's shoulder.

Barnaby breathed out. "I've never seen this movie," he muttered to Kotetsu.

"Color me surprised." Kotetsu said, monotone. "You ain't seen a lot of things, Bunny."

Barnaby acquiesced to that point, and watched the stop motion movie in silence. His two companions, however, were anything but. Kotetsu and Kaede flung out quotes easily, mimicked dance patterns, and Kaede sung her heart out while… Kotetsu tried to sing.

"Kotetsu, do me a favor? Never sing in public."

Kaede giggled. "He is pretty bad, isn't he?"

"It's even worse whenever it's a rock song - he feels the need to air guitar."

"Ugggh - he even does it when we go to the mall together! I put a lifetime ban on him!"

"Eh? Why are you two bonding over how much I suck! Don't do that!" Kotetsu prodded Barnaby, and flicked Kaede lightly in the nose.

"There's just so much to talk about, though," Barnaby smirked. He knocked Kotetsu's hand away, before he could be assaulted again. Before Kotetsu could retort, Barnaby's phone rang, and he hastily checked it. "Nathan," he explained to Kotetsu, before he hurried back to their room. He answered the call.

"Hiya, Handsome," Nathan's voice sounded a bit shaky.

"How… are you?" Barnaby wasn't exactly the best at being a comforting friend. Especially since he hadn't developed the skill until late in life.

Nathan chuckled. "I'm… actually fine, honey. Antonio and I… we've decided to become official. But, to take it slow. No more casual asides. For real, this time."

"That's good new," Barnaby said, as he pushed his hands into his pockets.

"It is… so, you and Tiger?"

"Same thing." He bit at his lip, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's strange."

"Oh, definitely," Nathan laughed. "I've known Kotetsu for…" He exhaled. "Years. Never knew he was bi. I wish he would have told me!"

"I think Antonio knew," Barnaby said, recalling what the friends had said to one another at the party.

"I'm not surprised. Those two are best friends, after all…" Nathan's voice trailed off. "Whatever you two said to Antonio, I think it really helped him. So thanks."

"Of course," Barnaby muttered. He glanced up, and saw Kotetsu in the doorframe, a curious look on his face. Behind him, Barnaby watched as Anju and Kaede trudged to bed. Kaede appeared reluctant, but Anju could be heard lecturing her about needing to wake up early. Barnaby motioned that Kotetsu could come in.

"I'll let you hop off here, Handsome," Nathan said. "I'm sure you don't need your Christmas bogged down with all this." He gave a tinkling laugh.

"It's… not a problem, really," Barnaby said - and meant it. The bed creaked as Kotetsu sat beside him.

"We'll talk when you get back, darling. Make sure to take pictures - or make Tiger take pictures - it's been so long since I saw the Kaburagis! Merry Christmas!" Nathan hung up, and Barnaby dropped his phone onto the nightstand.

"Everything okay?" Kotetsu asked.

"Yes," Barnaby said. "I'm… sure you'll hear about it from Antonio." He wasn't certain how much of the conversation it was okay to relay, but luckily, Kotetsu seemed to understand.

"Well, come on, Bunny! I'm looking forward to that dinner a certain someone wouldn't let me sample, so we gotta get to bed early!" Kotetsu bumped his shoulder against Barnaby's.

"It's certainly not my fault you feel the need to stuff your face." Barnaby glared back at him. Then he glanced at the bed. "Is there not an extra one…?"

Kotetsu gave him a rather deadened look. "We've slept together before, Bunny."

Barnaby blushed. "Right."

"Stop stressin' so much," Kotetsu chastised. "Not that much has to change." He smiled, and Barnaby tentatively returned it.

"Sorry. I suppose I am rather inexperienced with this." Barnaby slowly removed his glasses, and set them on the end table. Kotetsu got up to turn the light off, and left the door cracked, removing more of Barnaby's unease. They both clambered into the bed, and Kotetsu hitched the blanket up around his shoulders.

"I'm not exactly a master at this either," Kotetsu confided. "I've never actually dated a man."

"Nor have I."

Kotetsu shifted in the darkness. "Wait… but I thought…?"

"No… I… let's say… I had brief interactions with men."

"Oh."

"Quite. Either way, all were rather unsatisfactory and short lived. I wasn't interested in their emotional well-being, nor were they interested in mine. It was rather simple." Barnaby wished he could see Kotetsu's face as he said all this, but instead he was left to stare into the murky figure, unable to discern actual features.

"I - uh… I've only ever been with Tomoe," Kotetsu admitted nervously. "We were hitched so early on in life that… well."

"You're not missing much," Barnaby chuckled. "At least, from my own observation."

"Well," Kotetsu's calloused hand came up, and his thumb found Barnaby's cheek. "Let's see how you feel after an actual relationship, kid." Barnaby smiled, and welcomed the rough texture, as Kotetsu held him. Right up until Kotetsu shifted, and jabbed Barnaby in the eye. "Ah! Sorry!"

Barnaby snorted. "You stupid old man…" But he was relaxed as he moved closer. In the dark, he couldn't really tell where Kotetsu was, but he knew they were at least touching. And it was enough.

They'd shared the pallet in Barnaby's floor before, and thus Barnaby wasn't surprised to wake up with Kotetsu's elbow pressed against his nose, and his knee hooked up into Barnaby's stomach. He blearily glanced down towards Kotetsu. He suppressed the smile that threatened to overtake his face. Kotetsu's beard was rough against his neck, where a puddle of drool was gathering.

"So disgusting," Barnaby mumbled to himself, but didn't move. He'd let the man have it when he eventually woke up.

Out in the hall, he heard footsteps. As they creaked closer, Anju appeared at the cracked door. Barnaby tried not to flinch, as she slowly entered the room.

"He always was a restless sleeper," Anju tutted. Barnaby couldn't see her terribly well, with his glasses resting on the nightstand. He attempted to reach for them, but Anju waved a hand at him. "Don't bother, honey. I only came in to ask if you wanted something to drink. He'll be asleep for a minute." He assumed that she was smiling, based on her voice.

"Ah…" He was acutely aware of the spittle in the hollow of his neck. "No, I'm quite alright. Are you certain you don't need help setting up the kitchen? He'll go back to sleep if I have to move him." Barnaby twisted up his mouth in Kotetsu's general direction.

Anju chuckled. "I'm certain. Anyways, he'll get up whenever Kaede comes tearing in here." She shuffled out of the room, but her words left an ominous prickle along Barnaby's neck. He didn't really enjoy the thought of Kaede seeing him _snuggling_ with her father. He also tried to recall when exactly he became okay with this, anyways, and wondered if he and Kotetsu had ever really just been friends.

"Hey, old man." He let his fingers lace over Kotetsu's forearm, and he gave the man a not-so-gentle shake. "Get up. It's Christmas. Shouldn't you be obnoxious?"

"Too early-y-y-y for that." Kotetsu smacked his lips, and his eyelids didn't even flutter. He did, however, move his elbow away from Barnaby's nostril, instead opting to wiggle it beneath Barnaby's shoulders to hold him closer.

Barnaby sighed. "You were all excited for that food, too…"

"Nice try," Kotetsu retorted, his breath ghosting over Barnaby's clavicle. "But ma won't serve up dinner 'til after presents - and no presents until Kaede gets up."

"And you… would like to receive the torment you're _surely_ to get from Kaede, for drooling all over someone?"

That seemed to attract Kotetsu's attention. "I'm not drooling!"

"You can just lie to people like that, hm? Without a guilty conscience?"

"It's not _lying_." Kotetsu cracked open his eyes, and Barnaby could see the glower that was directed at him. He watched as brown eyes slowly dropped to the puddle. Barnaby kept his face neutral. "Hm."

"You're disgusting."

"Eh? What about in a couple of years, when I'm so old I'll be crappin' the bed, huh?" Kotetsu shifted, and his palm was sprawled flat against Barnaby's stomach.

"Then I'll leave you for someone younger." Barnaby quirked his lips up into a smile. He allowed his hand to creep to Kotetsu's, where he interlaced their fingers. "I'll definitely still let you sleep on my floor, though."

"You are just the _nicest_ guy, Bunny."

"I do try." Barnaby said it flatly, but had to fight the laughter he felt at Kotetsu's pouting face. "Oh, come on, you know I'm only kidding."

"I'm not so sure… you sound so convincing!"

"I have one tone."

"No, there's two. Flat, and prissy."

"Charming." Barnaby shoved Kotetsu off of him, and clambered to his feet. Behind him, he heard Kotetsu getting up as well, along with what sounded like the most painful popping of joints. "You okay back there?"

"Shut it," Kotetsu groaned, a hand flattened against his lower back. "Just you wait. You won't be young and spry forever." He shuffled up behind Barnaby, and placed tentative, warm hands on his hips. His chin dug sharply into Barnaby's shoulder, and he could feel Kotetsu's warm breath against him.

Barnaby smiled to himself. He dropped his gaze to the carpet, and was immediately drawn out of the mood by a snort. "Are you standing on tiptoes…?"

Kotetsu abruptly tore away from him. He could be heard angrily grumbling about 'stupid tall people', and 'sassy bunnies'. Barnaby chuckled, and shut the door. He headed to his duffel bag, and watched as Kotetsu tore into his own - far messier - bag. As he shed his clothes, Barnaby watched from the corner of his eye, taking in the myriad of colors that covered Kotetsu's back.

Kotetsu tugged on a pair of black slacks, and mid button caught Barnaby staring. "Eh? You got your own nice one you can look at it." He had a knowing smile on his face, and Barnaby loved the way his eyes crinkled up at the corner.

"Did you forget it's on my back?" Barnaby scoffed. He pulled his shirt up and over his head, and replaced it with a fresh one.

"I spent many a-hour on it, but yes, conveniently." Kotetsu prodded his nose up to resemble a pig snout. "Don't be such a butt this early in the morning."

They bickered all the way up until there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Are you _ready_ yet?" Kaede groaned, muffled through the wood. "You better not be doing anything _gross_."

"Eh?" Kotetsu looked panicked, as he raced for the door. "What gross thing could we be doing?"

Kaede gave him a dull look. "Like - making out or worse." Her arms were crossed over a hideous Christmas sweater - one that matched Kotetsu's, Barnaby noticed with a sigh.

Kotetsu balked. "Kaede! Honey - no! Ten year olds shouldn't know about that." His hand flailed desperately around her, and he squatted in to some strange crab-like stance, as if to defend her from 'make-out knowledge'.

"Dad, I'm not _five_ ," Kaede hissed. "I know what kissing is. And I know that if you're dating Barnaby, then you two are gonna do it."

Kotetsu's hands settled for slapping against his cheeks. His fingers formed claws that pulled at his skin, a look of horror stretching his features into a comical mask. "My sweet innocent baby…" Kotetsu muttered to no one in particular.

Barnaby decided to intervene, and gave Kotetsu a sharp clap to the shoulder. "Get a hold of yourself, old man. I need you alive and kicking to take pictures for Nathan."

"He's so dramatic," Kaede bemoaned her fortune, and trudged away down the hall.

"Bunnyyyyyy," Kotetsu whined.

"I don't want to hear it," Barnaby interrupted. He gave Kotetsu a rather unimpressed look. "She's ten, and attends public school. Of course she knows what kissing is."

Kotetsu's face soured. "I wanna know what little creep taught her that," he growled.

Barnaby rolled his eyes.

"Do that, and they'll get stuck," Kotetsu lectured.

"Please. Then I wouldn't have to _look_ at your nonsense ever again." He prodded Kotetsu's chest with his index finger.

Kotetsu huffed, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "My daughter knows about kissing, my partner is rude to me… _and_ we weren't even kissing!" Kotetsu threw his hands up in defeat.

Barnaby allowed a small smile to sneak across his face against his will. He looped his arm around Kotetsu's waist, and tilted his head. His bangs brushed against Kotetsu's forehead, and he could see the older man warming to the embrace.

"One day we will," Kotetsu grumbled. Barnaby felt a warm rush flow through him.

"Of course." He let his arm drop, and intertwined his fingers with Kotetsu's. They headed into the living room, where Kaede had already eagerly delved under the tree, and was hastily throwing presents into clearly distinct piles.

"Santa brought a lot this year," she breathed reverently.

"Oh, so she knows all about kissing, but not about Santa - great!" Kotetsu mumbled to Barnaby. He gave a tinkling laugh, and pulled Kotetsu over to their respective piles. "Oi! Easy with some of those, Kaede! You dunno if they're breakable or not!"

Kaede shot Kotetsu a dirty look. "Uh - duh, dad. I shake them to tell first." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, and Barnaby quickly snapped a picture of Kotetsu's dumbfounded face, and Kaede's righteous pose. He tucked his curls back behind his ear, just in time for Kotetsu to flop back - disgruntled - onto his chest.

"C'mon. Pictures - I guess." Kotetsu crammed his face up against Barnaby's, their cheeks squished in an unflattering way, while Kotetsu pressed the shutter button on his own camera. Barnaby glowered at the picture, but Kotetsu grinned in a horribly infectious way, and Barnaby couldn't fend off the good feelings that rolled over him.

Kaede finished sorting the presents, and Anju rejoined them in the living room. Kotetsu turned, and shoved the first of Barnaby's presents into his lap.

"Oi, you better be happy. You getting that bunny tattoo, coming to my shop, and acting a fool the whole time, it all led up to this perfect present." Kotetsu beamed, and jabbed at the shoddily wrapped box.

Barnaby carefully unwrapped it, to see a pair of pink bunny slippers. He supposed he hadn't expected any less.


End file.
